Showing posts with label Diplomatic Immunity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diplomatic Immunity. Show all posts

Innate Immunity or Non Specific Immunity

Innate Immunity or non Specific Immunity

Immunity is the ability of the body to resist almost all types of organisms or toxins that tend to damage tissues and organs of the human body.

Innate Immunity
or non Specific Immunity is a type of immunity that results from gereral processes rather than from processes direct at specific diseases.

Below are examples of innate immunities
1. Phagocytosis of bacteria and other invaders by white blood cells and cells of the the tissue macrophage system.

2. Destruction of swallowed foreign organisms by the acid secretion of the stomach and digestive enzymes.

3. Resistance of the skin by organisms.

4. Presence in the blood of certain chemical compounds that attach and destroy foreign organisms or toxins. some of these compounds are lysozyme - a polysaccharides which react with and destroy gram positive bacteria.

5. Natural Killer lymphocytes that can recognize and destroy foreign cells, tumor cells and even some infected cells.


Innate or Not Specific Immunity

According to National Institutes of Health, innate, or nonspecific, immunity is a defense system that you are born with. It protects you against all antigens. Innate immunity involves barriers that keep harmful materials from entering your body. These barriers form the first line of defense in the immune response. Examples of anatomical innate immunity include:

  • Cough reflex
  • Enzymes in tears and skin oils
  • Mucus, which traps bacteria and small particles
  • Skin
  • Stomach acid

Innate immunity also comes in a protein chemical form, called innate humoral immunity. Examples include: the body's complement system and substances called interferon and interleukin-1

If an antigen gets past these barriers, it is attacked and destroyed by other parts of the immune system.

Diplomatic Immunity - What is Diplomatic Immunity


According to wikipedia, Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments, which ensures that diplomats are given safe passage and are considered not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution under the host country's laws (although they can be expelled). It was agreed as international law in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), though the concept and custom have a much longer history. Many principles of diplomatic immunity are now considered to be customary law. Diplomatic immunity as an institution developed to allow for the maintenance of government relations, including during periods of difficulties and even armed conflict. When receiving diplomats—formally, representatives of the sovereign (head of state)—the receiving head of state grants certain privileges and immunities to ensure that they may effectively carry out their duties, on the understanding that these will be provided on a reciprocal basis.

Originally, these privileges and immunities were granted on a bilateral, ad hoc basis, which led to misunderstandings and conflict, pressure on weaker states, and an inability for other states to judge which party was at fault. Various international agreements known as the Vienna Conventions codified the rules and agreements, providing standards and privileges to all states.

It is possible for the official's home country to waive immunity; this tends to only happen when the individual has committed a serious crime, unconnected with their diplomatic role (as opposed to, say, allegations of spying), or has witnessed such a crime. Alternatively, the home country may prosecute the individual. Many countries refuse to waive immunity as a matter of course; individuals have no authority to waive their own immunity (except perhaps in cases of defection).