Immunological signaling networks: integrating the body's immune response

The role of the immune system is to protect against infection and to eliminate disease from the host. Nonimmune cells can not only act as physical barriers, but also respond to microbial stimulation to release antimicrobial molecules, whereas immune cells are primarily responsible for eliminating pathogens or cancerous cells. In addition, immune cells regulate the immune response affecting the types of cells that are activated or suppressed. The following discussion is an overview of the immune system and its interconnection with the host. How nonimmune cells and innate and adaptive immune cells work separately and together to respond to a pathogenic challenge is discussed. In addition, how the immune system can be affected by factors such as nutrition and stress, and how the immune system can affect factors such as fertility demonstrates the integration of the immune system in processes other than elimination of pathogens.