Question 1 Report
| defence | how it helps |
| skin | ? |
| stomach acid | kills many swallowed pathogens |
The table shows two of the body's defences against disease. How does the skin help to defend the body?
The skin defends the body by acting as a barrier that physically stops pathogens entering, which is its role in the body's first line of defence. It does not digest pathogens in the blood (that is closer to phagocytosis by white blood cells) and it does not make antibodies (that is the job of lymphocytes). Insulin is a hormone controlling blood glucose and has nothing to do with fighting pathogens. Keep the skin's role simple: it is a barrier that keeps pathogens out.
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