30 Terms
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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
immunoglobulin repertoire
Biology; Immunology
The immunoglobulin repertoire, also known as the antibody repertoire, is the total variety of immunoglobulin molecules in the body of an individual.
polymerase chain reaction
Biology; Immunology
The polymerase chain reaction or PCR uses high temperature and unique thermostable enzymes to replicate DNA. It has revolutionized molecular biology.
vaccinia
Biology; Immunology
The first effective vaccine was vaccinia, a cowpox virus that causes a limited infection in humans that leads to immunity to the human smallpox virus.
self tolerance
Biology; Immunology
Tolerance is the failure to respond to an antigen; when that antigen is borne by self tissues, tolerance is called self tolerance. See also tolerance.
monospecificity
Biology; Immunology
An individual lymphocyte carries antigen receptors of a single antigen specificity and thus has the property of monospecificity in response to antigen.
complement receptor 3 (CR3)
Biology; Immunology
CR3 (CD11b:CD18) is a β2 integrin that functions both as an adhesion molecule and as a complement receptor. It binds iC3b, and stimulates phagocytosis.
platelet activating factor
Biology; Immunology
Platelet activating factor (PAF) is a lipid mediator that activates the blood clotting cascade and several other components of the innate immune system.
