Glossary
- Monocytes: White blood cells grow in the bone marrow and are then released into the blood stream to circulate the body. Their function is to respond to mediators of inflammation and squeeze through walls of capillaries where they mature into macrophages.
- Self : Cells that are deemed as belonging to the organism and therefore able to co-exist with the immune system and other cells in the body without being attacked. The MHC carry marker molecules are what enables the immune system to identify it as self
- Histamine: Chemicals secreted by basophils to make blood vessels wall more permeable allowing quicker and easier access for blood plasma and white blood cells to reach the site of infection.
- Non-self: Agents not recognised due to having foreign carry marker molecules therefore activating the immune system
- MHC- class markers: A group of genes that allow T-cells to distinguish between self and non-self cells.
- immunity:
- Immunity: Where an organism is not affected by something else
- Lymph fluid: Bathes all body cells and located between cells and around tissues in the body consisting of water and proteins that is not reabsorbed back into the capillaries.
- Innate immunity: Immunity that you are born with and inherit through genes
- Non-pathogenic: A bacteria that does not cause disease.
- Parasites: A pathogen that gains its nutrients from a host.
- Cytokines: Proteins produced in response to antigens and function as chemical messengers in the immune response. They regulate the innate and adaptive immune responses.
- Antibodies: A protein secreted by b-cells that binds to the specific antigen the initiated its secretion to assists in eliminating the pathogen from the body.
- Histamine: A chemical neurotransmitter produced by the body involved in the inflammatory response
- Cytokines: cell signalling molecules that initiate the movement of cells towards sites of inflammation
- Mast cells: Leucocytes that hold inflammatory mediators which reduce inflammation.