Immunology covers the study of all aspects of the immune system. Common autoimmune diseases include Hashimoto's thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus type 1, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Autoimmunity results from a hyperactive immune system attacking normal tissues as if they were foreign organisms. 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. Immunodeficiency occurs when the immune system is less active than normal, resulting in recurring and life-threatening infections. This process of acquired immunity is the basis of vaccination.ĭysfunction of the immune system can cause autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases and cancer. Adaptive (or acquired) immunity creates an immunological memory leading to an enhanced response to subsequent encounters with that same pathogen. Jawed vertebrates, including humans, have even more sophisticated defense mechanisms, including the ability to adapt to recognize pathogens more efficiently. These mechanisms include phagocytosis, antimicrobial peptides called defensins, and the complement system. Other basic immune mechanisms evolved in ancient plants and animals and remain in their modern descendants. Bacteria have a rudimentary immune system in the form of enzymes that protect against viral infections. Nearly all organisms have some kind of immune system. Both use molecules and cells to perform their functions. The adaptive immune system provides a tailored response to each stimulus by learning to recognize molecules it has previously encountered. The innate immune system provides a preconfigured response to broad groups of situations and stimuli. Many species have two major subsystems of the immune system. 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, distinguishing them from the organism's own healthy tissue. The immune system is a network of biological processes that protects an organism from diseases. Biological system protecting an organism against diseaseĪ scanning electron microscope image of a single neutrophil (yellow/right), engulfing anthrax bacteria (orange/left) – scale bar is 5 µm (false color)
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