Our innate immune system protects us more than we knew

7:49

supplementary video · Kurzgesagt on YouTube ↗

Our innate immune system protects us more than we knew

the gist

The innate immune system is the body's first and fastest defence and does not need to learn an enemy. It includes skin and mucus barriers, white cells such as neutrophils and macrophages that swallow invaders, natural killer cells that destroy infected or cancerous cells, and the complement proteins that mark microbes for attack. It recognises broad molecular patterns common to microbes through receptors such as Toll-like receptors. It was long seen as the blunt branch next to B cells and T cells, which make antibodies and remember specific pathogens. But innate cells also shape the adaptive response, and some show a form of memory, called trained immunity, that boosts later defence. Scientists are now trying to harness these abilities in therapies.

so what

Because innate immunity acts within minutes to hours and underlies inflammation, it matters for infections, cancer, autoimmune disease and vaccines. Tuning it could help treat disease without relying on a pathogen-specific response.

fun fact

Toll-like receptors are named after a fruit fly gene whose German name 'Toll' roughly means 'amazing'.

more on this

background

The innate immune system or non-specific immune system is an alternate defense strategy and is the dominant immune system response found in plants, fungi, prokaryotes, and invertebrates (see § Beyond vertebrates). It is one of the two main immunity strategies in vertebrates (the other being the adaptive immune system), and has been best studied in vertebrates.

The major functions of the innate immune system are to:

recruit immune cells to infection sites by producing chemical factors, including chemical mediators called cytokines

activate the complement cascade to identify bacteria, activate cells, and promote clearance of antibody complexes or dead cells

identify and remove foreign substances present in organs, tissues, blood and lymph, by specialized white blood cells

activate the adaptive immune system through antigen presentation

act as a physical and chemical barrier to infectious agents; via physical measures such as skin and mucus, and chemical measures such as clotting factors and host defence peptides.

From Wikipedia: Innate immune system (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗ · text CC BY-SA 4.0

see

MDPI, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Architha Srinivasan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Immcarle105, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Knowable Magazine · CC BY-ND

source: Knowable Magazine ↗

politics

Trump and Netanyahu reportedly clash over whether to resume military action against Iran

the gist

Israeli reports also say the cabinet directed the military to prepare for a possible new attack on Iran.

so what

The United States and Israel have been closely aligned on Iran's nuclear programme and regional threats, so open disagreement between their leaders over military strategy is unusual and closely watched. Whether to resume strikes is a decision with consequences for shipping, oil markets and the wider Middle East.

fun fact

Benjamin Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister of Israel for more years in total than any other person.

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Data: GDELT Project

Illustrative photo · Israel Belkind and Fanny Abramovitch (original) “The Provis…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

10:49

supplementary video · Epimetheus on YouTube ↗

world cultures & travelWikivoyageclassic9th–15th century · Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth, covering about 3,000 square kilometres

the gist

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.

how it works

The Khmer kings built enormous rectangular reservoirs that caught monsoon rain during the wet season. Earthen dykes and canals moved that water into rice paddies, so farmers could grow crops across much of the year. The surplus food supported craftsmen, builders and the workforce that raised the temples.

so what

Angkor shows how a society without industrial machinery could build a city on a scale that rivals modern metropolises, using engineering and water management instead. Some historians link its decline to drought, flooding and shifts in its water systems, which makes it a long-running case study in how cities depend on managing water. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia.

fun fact

The outline of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag of Cambodia.