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Immunology
Immunology is the study of the structuree and function of the immune system which is responsible for the protection from invading foreign macromolecules or organisms. It is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in both healthy states and immunological disorders (autoimmune diseases, hypersensitivities, immune deficiency, transplant rejection); the physical, chemical and physiological characteristics of the components of the immune system in vitro, in situ, and in vivo.
Industry: Biology
Add a new termContributors in Immunology
Immunology
atopic allergy
Biology; Immunology
Atopic allergy, or atopy, is the increased tendency seen in some people to produce immediate hypersensitivity reactions (usually mediated by IgE antibodies) against innocuous substances.
vascular addressins
Biology; Immunology
Vascular addressins are molecules on endothelial cells to which leukocyte adhesion molecules bind. They have a key role in selective homing of leukocytes to particular sites in the body.
chronic lymphocytic leukemias
Biology; Immunology
Chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLLs) are B-cell tumors that are found in the blood. The great majority express CD5 and unmutated V genes and are therefore thought to arise from B-1 cells.
phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate
Biology; Immunology
Phosphatidylinositol bisphosphatePIP2 is a membrane-associated phospholipid that is cleaved by phospholipase C-γ to give the signaling molecules diacylglycerol and inositol trisphosphate.
latency
Biology; Immunology
Some viruses can enter a cell but not replicate, a state known as latency. Latency can be established in various ways; when the virus is reactivated and replicates, it can produce disease.
accessory effector cells
Biology; Immunology
Accessory effector cells in adaptive immunity are cells that aid in the response but do not directly mediate specific antigen recognition. They include phagocytes, mast cells, and NK cells.
antigenic variation
Biology; Immunology
Many pathogens evade the adaptive immune response by antigenic variation in which new antigens are displayed that are not recognized by antibodies or T cells elicited in earlier infections.
