Library · Cellular process
Inflammation
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Inflammation is how tissue organizes defense and repair after detecting infection or injury. Picture nearby blood vessels opening a temporary access route: they widen, let fluid and proteins pass out, and allow leukocytes, the defensive cells in blood, to stick to the vessel wall and enter the tissue.
Those changes explain warmth, redness, and swelling. Inflammation can occur alongside an infection, but the presence of inflammation does not automatically mean that microorganisms are present.
In brief
Inflammation is a tissue response to infection or injury that brings defensive cells and molecules to the affected site, helps limit the spread of microorganisms, and supports repair. It is not the same as infection: tissue injury can also trigger inflammation.
Nearby blood vessels widen and become more permeable, while their endothelial lining allows white blood cells to attach and enter the tissue. Increased blood flow causes warmth and redness; escaping fluid and proteins contribute to swelling and pain.
Local defense and repair.
Sources (1)
- NCBI Bookshelf, U.S. National Library of MedicineThe front line of host defensePublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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