The immune system of reptiles is fairly similar to those of mammals.

There are two branches referred to as the innate and adaptive. The innate immunity portion is a set of non-specific responses that react to injury or infection through a inflammatory response. It involves antimicrobial peptides, lysozymes, the complement pathway and non-specific leukocytes. Antimicrobial peptides are similar to defensins. they are proteins that offer potent protection for reptiles against infection. the complement system consists of a series of proteins that kill invading bacteria either through opsonization or by lysis. There are three pathways of classical, alternative, and lectin (classical and alternative were found in reptiles). The innate immune response does not require previous exposure. The adaptive immune response can take several days/weeks and requires prior exposure to an antigen to have a full response. Reptiles have thymus, spleen, gut associated lymphoid tissue and bone marrow but they do not have lymph nodes and do not form germinal centers (sites where B cells mature and proliferate). These structures vary with seasons. They are well defined in the fall, involuted during winter, and well developed by end of spring, in the winter it depends on the species. but like hibernating mammals, they must reconstitute their T cell population in the spring as the thymus begins to redevelop. temperature can affect the phagocytic activity of microphages in reptiles. optimal temperture vs. impaired at lower or higher temps. heterophils which are functionally equivalent to neurtophils - help to suppress microbial invasian and are involved in the inflammatory response. in an extracellular The immune systems of reptiles are fairly similar to those of mammals. Some notable differences that I found were: 1. Reptiles lack lymph nodes and do not form germinal centers which are where B cells mature and proliferate. These structures vary with seasons. 2. Their innate immune response (their non-specific first line of protection against pathogens/inflammatory response) involves antimicrobial peptides, lysozymes, the complement pathway and non-specific leukocytes. The antimicrobial peptides are similar to defensin and are proteins that offer potent protection for reptiles against infection. 3. The non-specific leukocytes present in reptiles include: macrophages, monocytes, heterophils, basophils, and eosinophils. temperature can affect the phagocytic activity of macrophages in reptiles. They work best at a species specific optimal temperature and are impaired at higher or lower temperatures. Heterophils are functionally equivalent to neutrophils and they help suppress microbial invasion and are involved in the inflammatory response.

3. extracellular pathogens will induce formation of heterphilic granulomas which is where heterophils gather, degranulate and necrotize promoting a strong macrophage response. 4. reptiles do not form a liquid pus exudate like mammals. They form a caseous mass thats composed of degranulated and degenerated heterophils. 5. Fevers are part of the immune response in reptiles. They must raise their body temperature behaviorally by finding warmth. 6. T cell proliferation is strongly affected by seasonal cycles. 7. Reptile immune system is greatly affected by the season due to temperature differences. They are able to respond across a wide range of temperatures but they operate best at optimal species specific temperatures.