5 Interesting Facts About the Immune System

The immune system is responsible for protecting the body from disease. The immune system identifies harmful bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells and attacks them with white blood cells.

The body contains approximately 50 billion white blood cells in its approximate 10 pints of blood. Each drop of blood contains 7,000 to 25,000 white blood cells, according to Science Daily.

In addition to those white blood cells, the immune system is made up of lymph nodes and the spleen.

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Here are five interesting facts about the immune system that may surprise you.

1. The body's defenses against infection die and regenerate every day.

The immune system includes white blood cells produced in bone marrow that are called neutrophils, according to the American Society of Hematology. The troops must be replenished every day if the body is to fight off infection.

2. Cooties may help boost and build the immune system.

According to Science magazine, research conducted on neonatal mice in 2012 revealed that mice raised in a germ-free environment had weaker immune systems than mice that had exposure to germs.

The mice that had not been exposed to germs showed increased signs of lung inflammation and asthma.

The researchers concluded that “exposure to microbes during early childhood is associated with protection from immune-mediated diseases.”

3. White blood cells are small — in relative population — but mighty.

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“They are much fewer in number than red blood cells, accounting for about 1 percent of your blood,” according to the American Society of Hematology. Fifty-five percent to 70 percent of those white blood cells are neutrophils.

4. The immune system does most of its work gastrointestinal system.

According to Scientific American, “at least 70 percent of our immune system is aimed at the gut to expel and kill foreign invaders.”

5. Giggles may trump the sniffles.

Laughter may boost the immune system. Researchers in some studies exploring the effects of emotion on health found that “laughter increased natural killer cell cytotoxicity” in test subjects, according to Dr. Stephen Sinatra.

“NK cells are lymphocytes (white blood cells) that can distinguish cancerous and virally infected cells from normal cells, and can destroy the former without harming the latter,” says Sinatra.

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