The human body is a very vulnerable organism, except for the very strong line of defense that the immune system has thrown around it. Without the natural defense system provided by the immune system, the bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins, parasites, etc., would reduce the body to its chemical components in a few days.
That is what happens when the body dies and the immune system is no longer there. The human immune system works 24X7, though its work never comes to the limelight. The failure of the immune system is easily noticeable, though.
Although we inhale and eat thousands of germs everyday, the immune system prevents them from causing diseases. When a germ breaks through the immune system occasionally, we wind up with a disease. Once the immune system learns about these germs, it will fight them, and we get over the malady.
The major parts of the immune system are the thymus, spleen, lymph system, bone marrow, white blood cells, antibodies, complement system, and hormones.
The immune support system displays dual characteristics: self or non-self recognition, general or specific, and natural or adaptive, cell-mediated or humoral, active or...