A child falls and suffers a deep cut on her leg. The cut went through her skin and she is bleeding. Which of the following defense mechanisms will participate in eliminating contaminating microbes?

A) mucociliary escalator

B) normal skin flora

C) phagocytosis in the inflammatory response

D) acidic skin secretions

E) lysozyme

The correct answer is option C) phagocytosis in the inflammatory response.

Explanation:

Our body has an immune response mechanism for when we get hurt or when it feels that something outside our body wants to harm us, so its automatic reaction is to defend against all those bacteria and viruses that want to attack us.

The system is responsible for identifying the antigens and destroying them. The antigens are all bacteria, harmful viruses and dead substances that are found on the cells. Our system has its own proteins that are HLA antigens. But as these are normal for the body, it does not counterattack them.

There are several defense mechanisms that work as barriers to prohibit the passage of any bacteria that harm us, and one of these mechanisms is inflammation.

In this case, when our body suffers some kind of injury from a bacterium, a cut or a blow, the damaged cells release substances that spill onto the tissue through the blood vessels, causing inflammation.

This allows the foreign substance to be "locked up" and cannot enter the body.

These spilled substances also attract white blood cells, which are called phagocytes which are responsible for eating dead germs and cells through the phagocytosis process.