acellular |
lacking cells |
active immunity |
an immunity that occurs as a result of the activity of the body’s own cells rather than from antibodies acquired from an external source |
adaptiveimmunity |
a specific immune response that occurs after exposure to an antigen either from a pathogen or a vaccination |
allergy |
an immune reaction that results from immediate hypersensitivities in which an antibody- mediated immune response occurs within minutes of exposure to a harmless antigen |
antibody |
a protein that is produced by plasma cells after stimulation by an antigen; also known as an immunoglobulin |
antigen-presentingcell(APC) |
an immune cell that detects, engulfs, and informs the adaptive immune response about an infection by presenting the processed antigen on its cell surface |
antigen |
a macromolecule that reacts with cells of the immune system and which may or may not have a stimulatory effect |
apoptosis |
the cell death caused by induction of a cell’s own internal mechanisms either as a natural step in the development of a multicellular organism or by other environmental factors such as signals from cells of the immune system |
attenuation |
the weakening of a virus during vaccine development |
autoantibody |
an antibody that incorrectly marks “self” components as foreign and stimulates the immune response |
autoimmunity |
a type of hypersensitivity to self-antigens |
B cell |
a lymphocyte that matures in the bone marrow |
capsid |
the protein coating of the viral core |
cell-mediatedimmuneresponse |
an adaptive immune response that is controlled by T cells |
complementsystem |
an array of approximately 20 soluble proteins of the innate immune system that enhance phagocytosis, bore holes in pathogens, and recruit lymphocytes |
cytokine |
a chemical messenger that regulates cell differentiation, proliferation, and gene expression to effect immune responses |
cytopathic |
causing cell damage |
cytotoxicTlymphocyte(TC) |
an adaptive immune cell that directly kills infected cells via enzymes, and that releases cytokines to enhance the immune response |
dendriticcell |
an immune cell that processes antigen material and presents it on the surface of its cell in MHC class II molecules and induces an immune response in other cells |
effector cell |
a lymphocyte that has differentiated, such as a B cell, plasma cell, or cytotoxic T cell |
glycoprotein |
a protein molecule with attached carbohydrate molecules |
helperTlymphocyte(TH) |
a cell of the adaptive immune system that binds APCs via MHC class II olecules and stimulates B cells or secretes cytokines to initiate the mmune response |
humoralimmuneresponse |
the adaptive immune response that is controlled by activated B cells and antibodies |
hypersensitivity |
a spectrum of inappropriate immune responses toward harmless foreign particles or self-antigens; occurs after tissue sensitization and includes immediate-type (allergy), delayed- type, and autoimmunity |
immunetolerance |
an acquired ability to prevent an unnecessary or harmful immune response to a detected foreign body known not to cause disease |
immunodeficiency |
a failure, insufficiency, or delay at any level of the immune system, which may be acquired or inherited |
inflammation |
the localized redness, swelling, heat, and pain that results from the movement of leukocytes through opened capillaries to a site of infection |
innateimmunity |
an immunity that occurs naturally because of genetic factors or physiology, and is not caused by infection or vaccination |
interferon |
a cytokine that inhibits viral replication |
lymph |
the watery fluid present in the lymphatic circulatory system that bathes tissues and organs with protective white blood cells and does not contain erythrocytes |
lymphocyte |
a type of white blood cell that includes natural killer cells of the innate immune system and B and T cells of the adaptive immune system |
macrophage |
a large phagocytic cell that engulfs foreign particles and pathogens |
majorhistocompatibilityclass (MHC) IImolecule |
a protein found on the surface of antigen- presenting cells that signals to immune cells whether the cell is normal or is infected or cancerous; it provides the appropriate template into which antigens can be loaded for recognition by lymphocytes |
majorhistocompatibilityclass (MHC) I |
a group of proteins found on the surface of all nucleated cells that signals to immune cells whether the cell is normal or is infected or cancerous; it also provides the appropriate sites into which antigens can be loaded for recognition by lymphocytes |
mast cell |
a leukocyte that produces inflammatory molecules, such as histamine, in response to large pathogens |
memory cell |
an antigen-specific B or T lymphocyte that does not differentiate into an effector cell during the primary immune response but that can immediately become an effector cell on reexposure to the same pathogen |
monocyte |
a type of white blood cell that circulates in the blood and lymph and differentiates into a macrophage after it moves into infected tissue |
naturalkiller(NK) cell |
a lymphocyte that can kill cells infected with viruses or tumor cells |
neutrophil |
a phagocytic leukocyte that engulfs and digests pathogens |
passiveimmunity |
an immunity that does not result from the activity of the body’s own immune cells but by transfer of antibodies from one individual to another |
primaryimmuneresponse |
the response of the adaptive immune system to the first exposure to an antigen |
secondaryimmuneresponse |
the response of the adaptive immune system to a second or later exposure to an antigen mediated by memory cells |
Tcell |
a lymphocyte that matures in the thymus gland |
vaccine |
a weakened solution of virus components, viruses, or other agents that produce an immune response |
viralenvelope |
a lipid bilayer that envelops some viruses |
virion |
an individual virus particle outside a host cell |
whitebloodcell |
a nucleated cell found in the blood that is a part of the immune system; also called leukocytes |
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