Immune system

Definition:

The immune system is a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against attacks by “foreign” invaders.

Source: NIAID Immune System  

More:

The reaction by the immune system to antigens (substances such as bacteria and viruses) that the body recognizes as foreign is called immune response.

The immune response can be divided into several phases:

  1. the "innate" first response, mediated by cells able to destroy and engulf a large range of foreign organisms;
  2. the secondary, "adaptive" response, characterised by the generation of antibodies and T cells that are specific for the antigen; and
  3. a third, "suppression" phase, where the production of immune cells reverts to normal, and the information necessary to mount a future immune response to that antigen is retained in bone marrow memory cells.

Source: GreenFacts, based on the Queensland Institute of Medical Research Glossary of Terms 

Related words:

Cell

To read about this term in context:

GreenFacts Summary on Endocrine Disruptors:

Translation(s):

Deutsch: Immunsystem
Español: Sistema inmunológico
Français: Système immunitaire
Nederlands: Immuunsysteem

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