Citizendia
Your Ad Here

Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. Health science is the applied science dealing with Health, and it includes many sub disciplines Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding An immune system is a collection of mechanisms within an Organism that protects against Disease by identifying and killing Pathogens and Tumor It deals with, among other things, the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and disease; malfunctions of the immune system in 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. Physiology (from Greek grc φύσις physis, "nature origin" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the mechanical physical Autoimmunity is the failure of an organism to recognize its own constituent parts as self, which results in an immune response against its own cells and tissues Hypersensitivity (also called hypersensitivity reaction refers to undesirable (damaging discomfort-producing and sometimes fatal reactions produced by the normal immune system In Medicine, immunodeficiency (or immune deficiency) is a state in which the Immune system 's ability to fight Infectious disease is compromised Transplant rejection occurs when a transplanted organ or tissue fails to be accepted by the body of the transplant recipient In vitro ( Latin: within the glass refers to the technique of performing a given experiment in a controlled environment outside of a living Organism In situ (ɪn siːˈtuː is a Latin phrase meaning in the place. In vivo ( Latin: within the living means that which takes place inside an organism. Immunology has various applications in several disciplines of science, and as such is further divided.

Contents

Histological examination of the immune system

Even before the concept of immunity (from immunis, Latin for "exempt") was developed, numerous early physicians characterised organs that would later prove to be part of the immune system. Immunity is a material term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid Infection, Disease, or other unwanted biological invasion The key primary lymphoid organs of the immune system are thymus and bone marrow, and secondary lymphatic tissues such as spleen, tonsils, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, adenoids, and skin. In Human anatomy, the thymus is an organ located in the upper Anterior portion of the chest cavity just behind the Sternum. Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the hollow interior of Bones In adults marrow in large bones produces new Blood cells It constitutes 4% of The spleen is an organ found in all Vertebrate animals In humans the spleen is located in the abdomen of the body where it functions in the destruction of redundant Red For the structure in the Cerebellum, see Cerebellar tonsil. The tonsils are areas The lymphatic system in Vertebrates is a network of conduits that carry a clear fluid called Lymph. A Lymph node ( lɪmf noʊd is an organ consisting of many types of cells and is a part of the Lymphatic system. Adenoids (or pharyngeal tonsils, or nasopharyngeal tonsils) are a mass of Lymphoid tissue situated at the very back of the nose in the roof of the The skin is the outer covering of living tissue of an animal (or plant When health conditions warrant, immune system organs including the thymus, spleen, portions of bone marrow, lymph nodes and secondary lymphatic tissues can be surgically excised for examination while patients are still alive. Surgery (from the χειρουργική cheirourgikē, via chirurgiae meaning "hand work" is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental

Many components of the immune system are actually cellular in nature and not associated with any specific organ but rather are embedded or circulating in various tissues located throughout the body. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known living Organisms It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living and is often called Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism

Classical immunology

Classical immunology ties in with the fields of epidemiology and medicine. Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the Health and Illness of populations and serves as the foundation and Logic of interventions made in the Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the It studies the relationship between the body systems, pathogens, and immunity. A pathogen (from Greek πάθος pathos "suffering passion" and γἰγνομαι (γεν- gignomai (gen- "I give birth to" infectious The earliest written mention of immunity can be traced back to the plague of Athens in 430 BCE. A pandemic (from Greek παν pan all + δήμος demos people is an Epidemic of Infectious disease that spreads through Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Thucydides noted that people who had recovered from a previous bout of the disease could nurse the sick without contracting the illness a second time. Thucydides ( C 460 BC &ndash C 395 BC) ( Greek Θουκυδίδης Thoukydídēs) was a Greek A nurse is responsible—along with other Health care Professionals —for the treatment safety and recovery of acutely or chronically Many other ancient societies have references to this phenomenon, but it was not until the 19th and 20th centuries before the concept developed into scientific theory.

The study of the molecular and cellular components that comprise the immune system, including their function and interaction, is the central science of immunology. The immune system has been divided into a more primitive innate immune system, and acquired or adaptive immune system of vertebrates, the latter of which is further divided into humoral and cellular components. Immune system|Adaptive immune systemThe innate immune system comprises the cells and mechanisms that defend the host from infection by other organisms in a non-specific manner Immune system|Passive immunity|Innate immune system The adaptive immune system is composed of highly specialized systemic cells and processes that eliminate or prevent Pathogenic The Humoral Immune Response (HIR is the aspect of immunity that is mediated by secreted Antibodies (as opposed to Cell-mediated immunity which involves Cell-mediated immunity is an Immune response that does not involve Antibodies or complement but rather involves the activation of Macrophages

The humoral (antibody) response is defined as the interaction between antibodies and antigens. Antibodies (also known as immunoglobulins, abbreviated Ig) are Gamma globulin Proteins that are found in Blood or other Bodily An antigen (from antibody-generating) or immunogen is a substance that prompts the generation of Antibodies and can cause an immune response Antibodies are specific proteins released from a certain class of immune cells (B lymphocytes). Antigens are defined as anything that elicits generation of antibodies, hence they are Antibody Generators. Immunology itself rests on an understanding of the properties of these two biological entities. However, equally important is the cellular response, which can not only kill infected cells in its own right, but is also crucial in controlling the antibody response. Put simply, both systems are highly interdependent.

In the 21st century, immunology has broadened its horizons with much research being performed in the more specialized niches of immunology. This includes the immunological function of cells, organs and systems not normally associated with the immune system, as well as the function of the immune system outside classical models of immunity.

Clinical immunology

Clinical immunology is the study of diseases caused by disorders of the immune system (failure, aberrant action, and malignant growth of the cellular elements of the system). A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly It also involves diseases of other systems, where immune reactions play a part in the pathology and clinical features.

The diseases caused by disorders of the immune system fall into two broad categories: immunodeficiency, in which parts of the immune system fail to provide an adequate response (examples include chronic granulomatous disease), and autoimmunity, in which the immune system attacks its own host's body (examples include systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's disease and myasthenia gravis). In Medicine, immunodeficiency (or immune deficiency) is a state in which the Immune system 's ability to fight Infectious disease is compromised Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD is a diverse group of hereditary diseases in which certain cells of the Immune system have difficulty forming the reactive Autoimmunity is the failure of an organism to recognize its own constituent parts as self, which results in an immune response against its own cells and tissues Systemic lupus erythematosus ( SLE or lupus,) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can be fatal though with recent medical advances fatalities are becoming Rheumatoid arthritis ( RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disorder that causes the Immune system to attack the Joints, where Hashimoto's thyroiditis or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is an Autoimmune disease where the body's own T-cells attack the cells of the Thyroid Myasthenia gravis (literally "serious muscle-weakness" from Greek μύς "muscle" "weakness" and Latin gravis Other immune system disorders include different hypersensitivities, in which the system responds inappropriately to harmless compounds (asthma and other allergies) or responds too intensely. Hypersensitivity (also called hypersensitivity reaction refers to undesirable (damaging discomfort-producing and sometimes fatal reactions produced by the normal immune system Asthma is a chronic Condition involving the Respiratory system in which the airways occasionally constrict become inflamed, and are Allergy is a disorder of the Immune system often also referred to as Atopy.

The most well-known disease that affects the immune system itself is AIDS, caused by HIV. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome AIDS is an immunodeficiency characterized by the lack of CD4+ ("helper") T cells and macrophages, which are destroyed by HIV. T cells belong to a group of White blood cells known as Lymphocytes, and play a central role in Cell-mediated immunity. Macrophages ( Greek: "big eaters" from makros "large" + phagein "eat" ( Mø) are cells within the tissues that

Clinical immunologists also study ways to prevent transplant rejection, in which the immune system attempts to destroy allografts or xenografts. Transplant rejection occurs when a transplanted organ or tissue fails to be accepted by the body of the transplant recipient An allograft or allogeneic transplant or homograft is a transplant in which transplanted cells, tissues, or organs are sourced from Xenotransplantation ( xeno- from the Greek meaning "foreign" is the transplantation of living cells tissues or organs

Immunotherapy

See main article Immunotherapy

The use of immune system components to treat a disease or disorder is known as immunotherapy. Immunotherapy in medicine refers to an array of treatment strategies based upon the concept of modulating the Immune system to achieve a prophylactic and/or Immunotherapy is most commonly used in the context of the treatment of cancers together with chemotherapy (drugs) and radiotherapy (radiation). Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled Chemotherapy, in its most general sense refers to treatment of disease by chemicals that kill cells specifically those of micro-organisms or Cancer. Medication, also referred to as medicine, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis cure mitigation treatment or prevention of disease Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is the medical use of Ionizing radiation as part of Cancer treatment to control Malignant Electromagnetic radiation takes the form of self-propagating Waves in a Vacuum or in Matter. However, immunotherapy is also often used in the immunosuppressed (such as HIV patients) and people suffering from other immune deficiencies or autoimmune diseases. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Diagnostic immunology

See main article Diagnostic immunology

The specificity of the bond between antibody and antigen has made it an excellent tool in the detection of substances in a variety of diagnostic techniques. Diagnostic immunology is a collective term for a variety of diagnostic techniques that rely on the specificity of the bond between antibodies and Antigens Diagnostic Antibodies specific for a desired antigen can be conjugated with a radiolabel, fluorescent label, or color-forming enzyme and are used as a "probe" to detect it. An antigen (from antibody-generating) or immunogen is a substance that prompts the generation of Antibodies and can cause an immune response

Evolutionary immunology

Study of the immune system in extant and extinct species is capable of giving us a key understanding of the evolution of species and the immune system. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008

A development of complexity of the immune system can be seen from simple phagocytotic protection of single celled organisms, to circulating antimicrobial peptides in insects to lymphoid organs in vertebrates. Of course, like much of evolutionary observation, these physical properties are often seen from the anthropocentric aspect. Anthropocentrism (from Greek άνθρωπος anthropos, "human being" and κέντρον kentron, "center" Anthropos (the term It should be recognized, that every organism living today has an immune system absolutely capable of protecting it from most forms of harm; those organisms that did not adapt their immune systems to external threats are no longer around to be observed.

Insects and other arthropods, while not possessing true adaptive immunity, show highly evolved systems of innate immunity, and are additionally protected from external injury (and exposure to pathogens) by their chitinous shells. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Arthropods are Animals belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda (from Greek ἄρθρον arthron, " Joint " Chitin ( C 8 H 13 O 5 N)n (ˈkaɪtən is a long-chain Polymer of a N-acetylglucosamine

See also

References

External links

Dictionary

immunology

-noun

  1. (medicine) The branch of medicine that studies the body's immune system.
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic