Inflammation________________________________________________________________________ |
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Inflammation is the body’s response to external pathogen, damaged cells or irritants. It is a biological response to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process. This is the body’s attempt to protect and heal itself. Inflammation is a response to infection. The inflammation process is the initial response to damage. The characteristic of inflammation is pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function. Inflammation is initiated by scout cells that circulate throughout the body. These cells are called macrophages, dendritic cells, histiocytes, Kupffer cells and mastocytes. These cells detect the infection or injuries and activate the inflammatory process. The blood flow will increase in the area where the inflammatory response began. The redness and heat is the result. The blood vessels will begin allow inflammatory proteins and fluid into the tissue. This results in swelling. The inflammatory proteins cause pain. The inflammatory proteins signal certain white blood cells to migrate to the injured area. The loss of function is neurological response to the pain. The inflammatory proteins have to be constantly maintained. They are consumed during as the white blood cells follow the trail to the injured area. So an ongoing inflammatory response is due to ongoing infection or injury. The blood vessels allow inflammatory proteins into the inflamed tissue. The increase proteins in an area draw fluid. The result is swelling. The fluid is flows into the lymphatic system to the regional lymph nodes. The bacterium is flushed with the fluid into the lymphatic system. The immune system in the lymphatic system is stimulated by presence of bacteria.
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