"The immune system is a network of biological systems that protects an organism from diseases."
The body's response to infectious agents, including the innate and adaptive immune systems.
Introduction to Immunology: Overview of the immune system and how it works to protect the body from pathogens.
Innate Immunity: The first line of defense against invading pathogens, including physical and chemical barriers and cells involved in the inflammatory response.
Adaptive Immunity: The highly specific immune response that develops over time in response to exposure to antigens.
Antigens: Molecules that trigger an immune response, such as bacterial or viral proteins.
Antibodies: Proteins produced by B cells that recognize and bind to specific antigens, helping to eliminate them from the body.
T cells: Cells of the immune system that play a critical role in activating and coordinating the adaptive immune response.
Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC): A set of proteins that present antigens to T cells, enabling them to recognize and respond to pathogens.
Immunological memory: The ability of the immune system to remember past exposure to antigens, resulting in a more rapid and effective response to subsequent infections.
Vaccines: Strategies for inducing immunological memory without causing disease, to protect against future infections.
Autoimmunity: When the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own cells and tissues, leading to autoimmune disorders.
Immunosuppression: When the immune system is deliberately suppressed, such as in the case of organ transplantation or treating autoimmune disorders.
Immune System Dysfunction: How abnormalities in the immune system can lead to a range of diseases, including allergies, autoimmune disorders, and immunodeficiencies.
Pathogens: The types of microorganisms that cause infectious diseases, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
Innate Immune Pathways: The different cells and molecules involved in the innate immune response and how they work together to eliminate pathogens.
Adaptive Immune Pathways: How antigen-presenting cells and different types of T and B cells work together to produce an effective immune response.
Cytokines: Signaling molecules that play a key role in coordinating the immune response.
The Immune response in Health and disease: How the immune system responds to various infections and diseases.
Complement System: An important component of the innate immune system, involved in destroying pathogens and promoting inflammation.
Immunotherapy: Strategies that exploit the immune system to treat diseases, including cancer.
Immunological Techniques: Methods for studying the immune system, including immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and ELISA.
BCR: B cell receptor response.
TCR: T cell receptor response.
MHC: Major Histocompatibility Complex.
APC: Antigen Presenting Cell.
IgA: Immunoglobulin A.
IgG: Immunoglobulin G.
IgM: Immunoglobulin M.
Th1: T helper cell type 1 response.
Th2: T helper cell type 2 response.
NK: Natural killer cell response.
"It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to parasitic worms, as well as cancer cells and objects such as wood splinters."
"Many species have two major subsystems of the immune system."
"The innate immune system provides a preconfigured response to broad groups of situations and stimuli."
"The adaptive immune system provides a tailored response to each stimulus by learning to recognize molecules it has previously encountered."
"These mechanisms include phagocytosis, antimicrobial peptides called defensins, and the complement system."
"Jawed vertebrates, including humans, have even more sophisticated defense mechanisms, including the ability to adapt to recognize pathogens more efficiently."
"Adaptive (or acquired) immunity creates an immunological memory leading to an enhanced response to subsequent encounters with that same pathogen."
"This process of acquired immunity is the basis of vaccination."
"Dysfunction of the immune system can cause autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, and cancer."
"Immunodeficiency occurs when the immune system is less active than normal, resulting in recurring and life-threatening infections."
"In humans, immunodeficiency can be the result of a genetic disease such as severe combined immunodeficiency, acquired conditions such as HIV/AIDS, or the use of immunosuppressive medication."
"Autoimmunity results from a hyperactive immune system attacking normal tissues as if they were foreign organisms."
"Common autoimmune diseases include Hashimoto's thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus type 1, and systemic lupus erythematosus."
"Immunology covers the study of all aspects of the immune system."