Abalindi Abavikela Impilo Yakho

“NKOSAZANA ethandekayo,” kusho udokotela njengoba ehlola imiphumela yegazi, “isimiso sokuzivikela somzimba wakho sibuthaka kakhulu.” Kwase kuyisikhashana uVeronica egula. Ukucinana kwemigudu yomoya emaphashini okwakulokhu kumhlasela kwakumenzé waba buthakathaka, futhi muva nje ubephethwe yindlebe nokucinana komgudu wamakhala.

Siyini isimiso somzimba sokuzivikela futhi kungani sibaluleke kangaka? Sisebenza kanjani?

Ukuvikelwa Ekuhlaselweni

Isimiso somzimba sokuzivikela sihlanganisa uxhaxha oluyinkimbinkimbi lwama-molecule namangqamuzana akhethekile asebenza ngokubambisana ukuze alwe namagciwane. Thina sithembele esimisweni somzimba sokuzivikela ukuze sisivikele kubahlaseli bangaphandle, njengamagciwane.

Ngokwesibonelo, singaqhathanisa umzimba nomuzi wasendulo. Umuzi wawungase wakhiwe endaweni ephakeme ukuze wonke amabutho ezitha abonakale esekude. Futhi umuzi wawuvikelwa yizindonga namasango amaningi, ayenonogada nabalindi. Unezivikelo ezinjalo, umuzi wawuba yindawo elondekile yokuhlala. Uma siqhathanisa umzimba wethu nomuzi onjalo, singakuqonda kangcono lokho okudingekayo ukuze uvikeleke ekuhlaselweni.

Emizimbeni yethu, into yokuqala ewuvikela ekungenweni amagciwane yisikhumba kanye nolwelwesi lwamafinyila (ngokwesibonelo, olusemakhaleni nasemphinjeni). Isikhumba sethu sisebenza njengogange olubalulekile. Izigidigidi zamagciwane asesikhunjeni sethu ziyafa lapho ungqimba lwesikhumba olungaphandle lusuka.

Ulwelwesi lwamafinyila aluqinile njengesikhumba futhi lusheshe lulimale. Nokho, lunezinto eziningi ezingokwemvelo ezilwa namagciwane. Enye into enjalo, ebizwa ngokuthi i-lysozyme, itholakala ezinyembezini, ematheni nasemjulukweni. Nakuba i-asidi esemjulukweni yanele ukuba ivimbele ukwanda kwamagciwane amaningi, i-lysozyme iwabulala ngokubhubhisa ulwelwesi lwamangqamuzana awo. Ngenxa yaleso sizathu, isilwane singelapha amanxeba aso ngokumane nje siwakhothe.

Abalindi Abayinhloko—Amangqamuzana Amhlophe Egazi

Ake sithi amagciwane abangela izifo angena “emzini” wethu ngesilonda noma ngesifo esithathelwanayo. Ibutho lamangqamuzana ngokushesha liqala ukulwa, linenjongo eyodwa vó—ukuqeda igciwane elihlasele futhi likululamise. Amangqamuzana alwela ukuvikela umzimba abizwa ngokuthi ama-leukocyte, noma amangqamuzana amhlophe egazi. Izinhlobo ezintathu zamangqamuzana amhlophe egazi kuleli qophelo lempi ama-monocyte, ama-neutrophil nama-lymphocyte.

Lapho ama-monocyte “ezwa” izimpawu zamakhemikhali ezibonisa ukuthi kunokuvuvukala endaweni ethile, ayawushiya umgudu wegazi futhi angene esicutshini esilimele, lapho ephenduka khona ama-macrophage, okungukuthi “izidlakudla.” Lapho, ashwabadela yonke into okungamelwe ibe lapha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, akhipha izithako ezibalulekile okuthiwa ama-cytokine, ezilungiselela umzimba ukulwa nesifo. Phakathi kwemisebenzi ayenzayo, ama-cytokine avusa imfiva. Imfiva iyisici esiwusizo ngoba siwuphawu lokuthi izinqubo zokuvikela seziqalile ukusebenza. Ingasheshisa inqubo yokwelapha futhi isebenze njengophawu lokuxilonga oluwusizo.

Okulandelayo, ama-neutrophil “ezwa” uphawu lwamakhemikhali oluvela endaweni evuvukele abese enikela khona eyosiza ama-macrophage. Nawo futhi afike asibekele noma agwinye amagciwane. Uma la ma-neutrophil efa, ayakhishwa emzimbeni njengobovu. Ngakho, ukwakheka kobovu kungolunye uhlobo lokuvikela. Kulokhu, inkulumo yesiLatini osekungamakhulu eminyaka isetshenziswa odokotela ingasebenza: pus bonum et laudabile. Isho ukuthi “ubovu obuhle nobufanele ukudunyiswa.” Ukwakheka kwabo kusiza ekunqandeni isifo. Ngemva kokugaya amagciwane, abangane bethu ama-macrophage “baletha” noma babukise ngezingcezu zegciwane kuma-lymphocyte ukuze bawaxwayise ngomhlaseli.

Ama-lymphocyte angompetha bokulwa nesifo. Akhiqiza izithako okuthiwa amasosha omzimba, ahlangana ngokukhethekile nocezu oluthile lwegciwane. Kunamaqembu amabili ayinhloko ama-lymphocyte anamakhono angafani. Okokuqala kunama-B cell, akhiphela amasosha omzimba awakhiqizayo emgudwini wegazi. La ma-B cell abizwa ngokuthi amabutho ahlomile okuzivikela, futhi acibishela imicibisholo yawo, amasosha omzimba, ngobuciko obukhulu. La masosha omzimba “azofuna” igciwane alaziyo, futhi azohlasela indawo ebalulekile egciwaneni. Elinye iqembu eliyinhloko lama-lymphocyte, ama-T cell, ligcina amasosha omzimba eliwaziyo egxilile ezindaweni zawo. Liwasebenzisela ukuhlasela isitha—lilwa naso bukhoma.

Le ndaba iyashuba nakakhulu. Iqembu elingaphansi kwama-T cell, elibizwa ngokuthi ama-helper T cell, lisiza abangane balo ama-B cell ukuba bakhiqize amasosha omzimba amaningi. Ngaphambi kokuhlasela, ama-helper T cell ayabonisana wodwa. Ucwaningo lwamuva lubonise ukuthi ngezimpawu zamakhemikhali, la mangqamuzana “akhuluma” wodwa ngenjabulo, exoxa ngembangela yesifo, kulokho okuye kwabizwa ngokuthi ingxoxo evuthayo.

Elinye iqembu elibalukile elisizayo, amangqamuzana angababulali abangokwemvelo (natural killer cells). Lawa awakhiqizi amasosha omzimba, kodwa akulungele ukubulala amangqamuzana asephenduké “izihambi” ngenxa yokuba nesifo. Ngakho ababulali abangokwemvelo nabo banengxenye ekuvikeleni ubungqabavu bomzimba.

Ekugcineni, ngenxa yenkumbulo yawo esesimisweni somzimba sokuzivikela, ama-lymphocyte ayakwazi ukukhumbula izici zegciwane, sengathi anerekhodi lalo emafayilini. Ngakho uma lolo hlobo lwegciwane luphinde lubuya, ama-lymphocyte asuke esenamasosha omzimba athile agxuma ahlale izithonto kulo.

Ama-macrophage, amangqamuzana ashukumisa ukuzivikela komzimba, ayasiza nasekuqedeleni umsebenzi ngokuhlala ekhona ukuze asize ekudambiseni ukuvuvukala. Endaweni ethintekile akhuculula amangqamuzana afile, izicucu zamangqamuzana noma udoti osale “enkundleni” ngemva kwempi, abuyisele ukuthula nokuhleleka “emzini.”

Uma Amasosha Ebuthakathaka

Lokhu okungenhla kumane nje kuwuhlaka lokuthi isimiso somzimba sokuzivikela kucatshangwa ukuthi sisebenza kanjani. Kodwa lesi simiso singase sibe buthakathaka ngenxa yezizathu eziningana: Kungase kube namaphutha angokwemvelo asesimisweni somzimba sokuzivikela kanye namaphutha atholakala phakathi nenkambo yokuphila komuntu ngenxa yokuba nezifo.

Esinye salezi zifo ezimbi kakhulu yingculaza, ubhadane olwesabekayo olwaqubuka ngawo-1980. Ibangelwa igciwane i-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), elingahlasela umnyombo wesimiso somzimba sokuzivikela, libulale amaqembu athile ama-lymphocyte kancane kancane. Ngaleyo ndlela ingxenye ebaluleke kakhulu yamasosha omzimba omuntu iyakhubazeka. Ngemva kwalokho, izifo ziyabuya futhi azibe zisalapheka ngokuphelele. Eqinisweni, ziba zimbi kakhulu, futhi umzimba usala ungenalutho lokuzivikela. Uba njengomuzi oyincithakalo, ongenazindonga, ongase unqotshwe yinoma ubani.

Ngenhlanhla, akukhona konke ukuntuleka kwesimiso sokuzivikela okubi kangako. UVeronica, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni, wayenenkinga encane yokukhiqizwa kohlobo olulodwa lwamasosha omzimba oluvame ukuba khona olwelwesini lwamafinyila, ikakhulukazi emigudwini yomoya. Yingakho ayeba nalesi sifo esasilokhu sibuya futhi siphikelela.

UVeronica waba ngcono. Ngemva kokulalela incazelo kadokotela wakhe, wanquma ukuthi uzolandela ngobuqotho indlela yokwelapha ayishoyo. Lapho ukucinana komgudu wamakhala kuba ngcono, wavuma ukujovwa ngomjovo owawuzoshukumisa ukukhiqizwa kwamasosha omzimba.a Wayeka nogwayi futhi wazinika isikhathi esengeziwe sokuphumula. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, impilo yakhe yathuthuka ngokuphawulekayo.

Yebo, siklanyelwe ukujabulela ukuphila sinempilo enhle. Uma sicabanga ngobunkimbinkimbi obumangalisayo besimiso somzimba sokuzivikela nezinye izinqubo zomzimba womuntu eziyinkimbinkimbi, sishukunyiselwa ukuba sibe nokwazisa nokubonga ngokuhlakanipha koMdali wethu. (IHubo 139:14; IsAmbulo 15:3) Futhi nakuba manje ngenxa yokungapheleli kobuntu singayijabuleli impilo enhle ngaso sonke isikhathi, iZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelwe liyasiqinisekisa ukuthi ezweni elisha elisemnyango, abantu bayobuyiselwa ekupheleleni kwengqondo nomzimba, ukuze ‘abakhe khona bangasho ukuthi: “Ngiyagula.”’—Isaya 33:24.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[[Ibhokisi ekhasini 13]

UKUHLELWA KWENDLELA YOKUZIVIKELA:

• ISIKHUMBA NOLWELWESI LWAMAFINYILA

• AMA-LEUKOCYTE, NOMA AMANGQAMUZANA EGAZI AMHLOPHE

Ama-monocyte angena esicutshini esilimele ashwabadele amagciwane ahlaselayo

Ama-neutrophil asiza ekugwinyeni amagciwane futhi akhishwa emzimbeni njengobovu

Ama-lymphocyte anenkumbulo yokuvikela umzimba; uma kubuya uhlobo olufanayo lwegciwane, amasosha agxuma ahlale kulo izithonto

• Ama-“B cell” adedela amasosha omzimba njengemicibisholo ecitshwe kahle; wona abe “esefuna” amagciwane futhi awahlasele

• Ama-“T cell” asiza ekukhiqizeni amasosha omzimba alwa “bukhoma” namagciwane

—Ama-“helper T cell” asiza ama-B cell ukuba akhiqize inqwaba yamasosha omzimba

—Amangqamuzana angababulali abangokwemvelo abulala amangqamuzana anesifo ngokuqondile ngaphandle kokukhiqiza amasosha omzimba

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Amangqamuzana amhlophe egazi ahlasela amagciwane

[Umthombo]

Lennart Nilsson