Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Research Question

Options
  • 14-08-2010 2:29pm
    #1
    Orion101
    Registered Users Posts: 143 ✭✭


    Hello, looking for a bit of help.

    Is anaphylactic shock one of the effects of human body being exposed or consuming a toxic or otherwise unknown substance?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Biologic
    Registered Users Posts: 383 ✭✭Biologic


    Orion101 wrote: »
    Hello, looking for a bit of help.

    Is anaphylactic shock one of the effects of human body being exposed or consuming a toxic or otherwise unknown substance?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    This mightn't be comprehensive but, strictly speaking, no. Toxic substances can be dealt with fairly easily under normal circumstances and quantities. Otherwise unknown substances are normally left alone. Anaphylactic shock occurs when the immune system overreacts to a certain substance and the body overproduces inflammatory cytokines. Normally if a pathogen enters your body, each immune cell has certain receptors that recognise certain patterns common to those pathogens (cell surface components, etc.).
    When your body recognises something normal (peanuts) as something abnormal, this is called a hypersensitivity reaction. This causes your blood vessels to dilate with the intention of increasing blood flow (and consequentially immune cell flow) to the effected area. When this happens systemically it dangerously lowers blood pressure amongst other things.
    There's a good bit of immunology behind why this happens to some people and not others, and some times and not others, but you're better off searching pubmed.com for that sort of info. Gimme a PM if you need any specifics.

    Bio


Advertisement