Life Science Dictionary38 terms

Immunology Terms

Immunology studies how the body defends itself against infection, and how those defenses can go wrong. These terms cover innate and adaptive immunity, the cells and molecules involved, such as T cells, B cells and antibodies, vaccines and autoimmunity.

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Adaptive immunityImmunologyAdaptive immunity is the branch of the immune system that learns to recognize specific antigens and remembers them, so it responds faster next time.
AllergyImmunologyAn allergy is an immune overreaction to a normally harmless substance, such as pollen or peanuts, driven mainly by IgE antibodies and mast cells.
AntibodyImmunologyAn antibody is a Y-shaped protein made by B cells and plasma cells that binds tightly to one specific antigen and helps the body destroy it.
AntigenImmunologyAn antigen is any molecule the immune system can recognize as a target, especially one that prompts antibodies or T cells to respond against it.
AsthmaMedicineAsthma is a long-term lung disease in which the airways become inflamed and narrowed, causing wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and breathlessness.
AutoimmunityImmunologyAutoimmunity is an immune response wrongly directed at the body's own healthy cells and tissues, and it is the cause of autoimmune diseases.

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B cellImmunologyA B cell is a lymphocyte, a kind of white blood cell, that produces antibodies and forms a key part of the adaptive immune system.

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Dendritic cellImmunologyA dendritic cell is an antigen-presenting immune cell that captures microbes in tissues and carries their fragments to lymph nodes to activate T cells.

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ELISAImmunologyELISA is a lab test that uses enzyme-linked antibodies to detect and measure a specific antigen or antibody in a sample through a color change.

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Flow cytometryImmunologyFlow cytometry is a laboratory technique for measuring the size, inner complexity and fluorescent labels of single cells as thousands stream past a laser.

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GranulomaPathologyA granuloma is a small, organized cluster of activated macrophages and other immune cells that walls off something the body cannot easily clear.

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PhagocytosisCell BiologyPhagocytosis is the way a cell engulfs a large particle, such as a bacterium or a dead cell, in a pocket of membrane and then digests it.

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Rheumatoid arthritisMedicineRheumatoid arthritis is a long-lasting autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack the lining of the joints, leaving them painful, swollen and stiff.

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T cellImmunologyA T cell is a white blood cell that matures in the thymus and drives cell-based immunity, directing other immune cells or killing infected cells.

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VaccineImmunologyA vaccine is a preparation that trains the immune system to recognize a pathogen, so the body can fight it off quickly if it meets the real thing later.

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White blood cellPhysiologyA white blood cell, or leukocyte, is any of the nucleated immune cells in blood that defend the body against infection and clear away debris.

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