Gilrandir vs Immune "System"

[Gilrandir]

The immune system is a system: an organ system. It's not one organ. It's a supervenient process of the regulatory action of most, if not all organs in the body.

To form a system organs must be connected to each other. Not so in case of immune "system": http://www.livescience.com/38028-how...fographic.html

[Montmorency]

Where do you get that notion?

[Gilrandir]

Where do you get that notion?

See the link. As I have said, it is the lymphatic system that connects SOME organs responsible for the protection of the body against infections. Other organs responsible for protection (namely skin) are not connected to spleen or thymus.

[Montmorency]

I don't think you understand. All the organs and systems of the body contribute some function to the immune response. They are all connected by being in the same body.

[Husar]

They're all connected via the nerve system in the same way left and right leg are connected via bones, so what are you talking about?

It was just a joke until you came along and made it a discussion about how you have no idea what a system is...

[Gilrandir]

I don't think you understand. All the organs and systems of the body contribute some function to the immune response. They are all connected by being in the same body.

That is why it is not a separate system. Immunity is the general ability of an organism to resist infection. This function is performed (as you correctly remarked) by sundry organs which belong to OTHER different systems. But there is no separate chain of organs responsible for protection. That is way I maintain that "immunity system" is not a system.

It was just a joke until you came along and made it a discussion about how you have no idea what a system is...

A system is elements plus structure the latter being represented by connections and relations. If some of these are missing it is not a system.

[Husar]

A system is elements plus structure the latter being represented by connections and relations. If some of these are missing it is not a system.

Not all elements have to be directly connected as you claim. The body consists of more than just organs. Is the nerve system not a system because the nerves are not directly connected? Do the chemicals that connect them not count? Or how are the planets in the solar system connected? Also not a system? I guess you need to lecture Harvard, Oxford and NASA about how they got it all wrong.

[Beskar]

Gilrandir does like to contest concepts arbitrarily in strange ways.

[Montmorency]

That is why it is not a separate system. Immunity is the general ability of an organism to resist infection. This function is performed (as you correctly remarked) by sundry organs which belong to OTHER different systems. But there is no separate chain of organs responsible for protection. That is way I maintain that "immunity system" is not a system.



A system is elements plus structure the latter being represented by connections and relations. If some of these are missing it is not a system.

So, as you just stated it there is an interrelated structure, where function is mutually dependent and reactive. Fin.

[Husar]

It actually annoys me

I blame Gilrandir.