What Is the Immune System?

This complex interaction of organs, cells, and microbes keeps us alive, though few of us understand it

Our understanding of the immune system was virtually non-existent a few generations ago and continues to evolve with ground-shaking new discoveries, including the importance of organs we would once cut out almost indiscriminately. Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Remember learning the systems of the body? The skeletal system describes our inner architecture. The circulatory system shows our heart and blood vessels. The digestive system traces the path of our food as it travels from assimilation to elimination.

Each system provides a basic lesson in anatomy and function. Together they reveal the body’s multi-layered complexity.