# @seed on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh1-N1plZJY
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/34247946-seed-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/41397442d8.jpg
- **Posted:** 2018-04-21T18:55:39.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Seed (@seed) — https://gondola.cc/seed

## Caption

If we asked you—where does the #immune #system physically sit in the #body? What would you say?⠀
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Well, a large part of it exists within the #gastrointestinal tract of our bodies. Certain #cells in the #gut lining release massive quantities of #antibodies, #proteins that fight #foreign invaders during what is called an ‘immune response’. ⠀
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What’s an immune response? Think about when you get a papercut. 🤬 To stop the bleeding, #platelets (tiny blood cells) bond together to form a clot. The platelets release #cytokines—a #chemical that signals the immune system to send cells to heal and fight invaders. The injured area #swells and reddens (and sometimes becomes sore) as immune cells rush 🏃🏽‍♂️to the scene. This swelling is called #inflammation.⠀
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Within the gut, there’s a #symphony of #chatter between our #microbes and immune cells. These gut microbes function as commanders, instructing immune cells on what to do and how intensely to respond. Gut microbes also control the duration of an inflammatory response (for example, our microbes can tell the body how long to induce the immune response for a bad sushi #dinner 🐟 or an #intense #sunburn. ☀️)⠀
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Histochemical staining of leukocytes and highly granulated mast cells. Dr. Thorsten Feyerabend, German Cancer Research Center

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## Tags

microbes, cells, antibodies, immune, system, chatter, proteins, gut, swells, sunburn, dinner, body, chemical, gastrointestinal, intense, inflammation, cytokines, symphony, platelets, foreign

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