The document provides an overview of the immune system and infectious diseases. It discusses the immune system's first-line defenses like skin and internal barriers. When pathogens breach these defenses, the immune system mounts specific responses through lymphocytes and antibodies. Vaccines provide active immunity by exposing the body to antigens in a controlled way. The document also discusses how microorganisms were first observed under microscopes and how scientists later linked bacteria, viruses and other microbes to transmitting infectious diseases.