Immunology

An allergy is an exaggerated immune response where the body mistakenly identifies an ordinarily harmless allergen as a threat. Allergic reactions give rise to allergic diseases such as hay fever, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic asthma, atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and anaphylaxis. Symptoms of allergic diseases may include red eyes, an itchy rash, sneezing, coughing, a runny nose, shortness of breath, or swelling.

Inflammation (from ) is part of the biological defence response of body tissues. Inflammatory immunovascular responses can be triggered by a broad range of stimuli, including physical trauma, "dead, damaged, malfunctioning or stressed tissues", pathogens, irritants, toxins, overuse, autoimmunity, allergens, and foreign bodies (e.g. silica and asbestos). The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin calor, dolor, rubor, tumor, and functio laesa).

type of cells of the immunological system

Immunology is a branch of biology and medicine that covers the study of immune systems in all organisms.

thumb|upright=1.2|Each antibody binds to a specific antigen in a highly specific interaction analogous to a lock and key.

milk produced by the mammary glands in the breast of a human female

state of being insusceptible or resistant to a noxious agent or process

type of lymphocyte

Apoptosis (from ) is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms and in some eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms such as yeast. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology) and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, and mRNA decay. The average adult human loses 50 to 70 billion cells each day to apoptosis. For the average human child between 8 and 14 years old, each day the approximate loss is 20 to 30 billion cells.

protection from infectious disease that occurs when a sufficient fraction of a population has become immune (through vaccination or previous infections)

type of white blood cell

An allergen is an otherwise harmless substance that triggers an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals by stimulating an immune response.

thumb|264x264px|Cytokines (small pink particles) being secreted in a medical animation

Lysozyme (, 'muramidase, N-acetylmuramide glycanhydrolase; systematic name peptidoglycan N-acetylmuramoylhydrolase') is an antimicrobial enzyme produced by animals that forms part of the innate immune system. It is a glycoside hydrolase that catalyzes the following process:

thumb|right|A Diagram of the process of autophagy, which produces the structures autophagosomes (AP), and [[autolysosomes (AL)B Electron micrograph of autophagic structures AP and AL in the fat body of a fruit fly larvaC Fluorescently labeled autophagosomes AP in liver cells of starved mice]]

specialized cells of the hematopoietic system with branch-like extensions

monospecific antibody that is made by identical immune cells that are all clones of a unique parent cell

infection caused by pathogens that take advantage of an opportunity not normally available

white blood cell that secretes large volumes of antibodies

thumb|A typical legume lectin monomer (lentil lectin), complexed with a sugar ([[glucose). The four sugar-binding loops are shown in different colours. The variable loop that confers monosaccharide specificity is shown in orange.]]

Immunosuppression is a reduction of the activation or efficacy of the immune system. Some portions of the immune system itself have immunosuppressive effects on other parts of the immune system, and immunosuppression may occur as an adverse reaction to treatment of other conditions.

In immunology, autoimmunity is the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells, tissues and other normal body constituents. Any disease resulting from this type of immune response is termed an "autoimmune disease". Prominent examples include celiac disease, diabetes mellitus type 1, Henoch–Schönlein purpura, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Addison's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, polymyositis, dermatomy

thumb|A vintage 1895 vial of diphtheria antitoxin.|252x252px

Trastuzumab, sold under the brand name Herceptin among others, is a monoclonal antibody used to treat breast cancer and stomach cancer. It is specifically used for cancer that is HER2 receptor positive. It may be used by itself or together with other chemotherapy medication. Trastuzumab is given by slow injection into a vein and injection just under the skin.

Cytotoxicity refers to the capacity of a substance or agent to cause damage or death to living cells, reflecting a critical parameter in pharmacology, toxicology, and biomedicine. It is distinct from cytostatic effects, which inhibit cell growth and proliferation without causing cell death. Cytotoxic agents can induce a range of cellular responses, including inhibition of cell growth, induction of apoptotic or necrotic cell death, and disruption of metabolic or structural cellular integrity. Assessing cytotoxicity is fundamental for evaluating the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical compound

thumb|Ruby Hirose researching serums and antitoxins thumb|A poster released by the Central Council for Health Education, spreading awareness about Diphtheria. thumb|A tetanus vaccine is being administered at the Naval medical Center San Diego A toxoid is an inactivated toxin (usually an exotoxin) whose toxicity has been suppressed while retaining its immunogenicity. This is usually achieved by chemical (formalin) or heat treatment. Toxins are secreted by bacteria, whereas toxoids are altered form of toxins; toxoids are not secreted by bacteria. Thus, when used during vaccination, an immune res

thumb|right|Leukotriene A4|LTA4 Note the four double bonds, three of them conjugated. This is a common property of A4, B4, C4, D4, and E4. right|thumb|Leukotriene B4|LTB4 thumb|right|Leukotriene C4|LTC4 is a cysteinyl leukotriene, as are D4 and E4. thumb|right|Leukotriene D4|LTD4 thumb|right|Leukotriene E4|LTE4

cell

failure of a normally responsive individual to make an immune response to a known antigen

Haptens (derived from the Greek haptein, meaning “to fasten”) are small molecules that elicit an immune response only when attached to a large carrier such as a protein; the carrier may be one that also does not elicit an immune response by itself. The mechanisms of absence of immune response may vary and involve complex immunological interactions, but can include absent or insufficient co-stimulatory signals from antigen-presenting cells. thumb|445x445px|Attaching of haptens to a carrier molecule lead to a complete antigen.

aspect of immunity that is mediated by macromolecules found in extracellular fluids

Tuberculin, known in its modern form as purified protein derivative (PPD), is a combination of proteins that are used in the diagnosis of tuberculosis by injection into the skin. Common side effects include redness, itchiness (pruritus), and pain at the site of injection. Allergic reactions may occasionally occur. Use is safe in pregnancy.

Inoculation is the act of implanting a pathogen or other microbe or virus into a person or other organism. It is a method of artificially inducing immunity against various infectious diseases. The term "inoculation" is also used more generally to refer to intentionally depositing microbes into any growth medium, as into a Petri dish used to culture the microbe, or into food ingredients for making cultured foods such as yoghurt and fermented beverages such as beer and wine. This article is primarily about the use of inoculation for producing immunity against infection. Inoculation has been used

immune system process that functions in the calibrated response of an organism to a potential internal or invasive threat

mammalian protein found in Homo sapiens

reduction in effectiveness of a drug such as an antimicrobial, anthelmintic or an antineoplastic in curing a disease or condition

group of identical cells that share a common ancestry

process in which immune receptor V, D, and J, or V and J gene segments, are recombined within a single locus

immune response that does not involve antibodies

potentially fatal immune reaction

thumb|Image of CD4 co-receptor binding to MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) non-polymorphic region.

Immunogenicity is the ability of a foreign substance, such as an antigen, to provoke an immune response in the body of a human or other animal. It may be wanted or unwanted:

class of peptides that have antimicrobial activity

method for producing lots of identical antibodies

A mitogen is a small bioactive protein or peptide that induces a cell to begin cell division, or enhances the rate of division (mitosis). Mitogenesis is the induction (triggering) of mitosis, typically via a mitogen.

transfer of active humoral immunity

bodily reaction

model of the immune system response to infection

cell type

document attesting that its bearer is immune to a contagious disease

CD8 (cluster of differentiation 8) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that serves as a co-receptor for the T-cell receptor (TCR). Along with the TCR, the CD8 co-receptor plays a role in T cell signaling and aiding with cytotoxic T cell-antigen interactions.

Allotransplant (allo- meaning "other" in Greek) is the transplantation of cells, tissues, or organs to a recipient from a genetically non-identical donor of the same species. The transplant is called an allograft, allogeneic transplant, or homograft. Most human tissue and organ transplants are allografts.

Molecule formed from the binding of multiple antigens to antibodies

cell type

type of immunoglobulin

300px|thumb|right|Schematic representation of how monoclonal antibodies are generally made from hybridomas. To make ZMapp, the genes encoding for the antibodies were extracted from the hybridomas, genetically engineered to replace mouse components with human components, and [[transfected into tobacco plants.]]

odor produced by a living animal

protein complex produced by components of the complement cascade inserted into a target cell membrane and forming a pore

switching of activated B cells from IgM biosynthesis to biosynthesis of other isotypes of immunoglobulin

infection following vaccine administration