DEVELOPMENT, STRUCTURING, AND FUNCTION OF ENDOGENIC DEFENSE WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE IMMUNE-SYSTEM

Highly advanced creatures have at their disposal four defence systems which become effective in consecutive steps or in simultaneity and are all in close cooperation with each other. They are (1) resistance, (2 ) the barrier system, (3) host flora and (4) the immune system. Resist ance is a genetically determined non-vulnerability of species, races a nd families to certain pathogenic microorganisms, protozoa, metazoic p arasites and toxins. It is a nature-given phenomenon for survival. The barrier system is made up of skin, mucosae, ciliated epithelia, tendo n sheaths, fasciae, blood-liquor barrier, boundary membranes and other anatomic as well as physiological elements. It is of congenital natur e, statically predetermined and mechanically effective towards targete d defence against external effects. Endogenic host flora is individual ly acquired at birth and works as an important biological defence barr ier via interference, germ competition, antibiosis and other processes . It also interferes with the metabolic, hormonal and immune systems. The immune system is based on activities antigen non-specific, paraspe cific (primitive immune system) and those strictly antigen specific, i mmunological (specific immune system). Particular attention is given i n this paper to the importance and utilization of the phylogenetically earlier paraspecific mechanisms which tend to be mobilized immediatel y after an exposure. The immune system is not autonomous. It is closel y linked to the hormonal, circulatory, metabolic, and nervous systems. Its functioning is that of a sense organ. Immunity and paramunity, ca rriers of the most effective defence barrier, are not diametrically op posed to each other, but for their functionality are closely associate d with one another. The definitions used in this paper are explained i n some detail.