How the Immune System Works is not a comprehensive textbook. Its the book thousands of students have used to help them understand whats in their big, thick, immunology texts. In this book, Dr. Sompayrac cuts through the jargon and details to reveal, in simple language, the essence of this complex subject. Fifteen easy to follow lectures, featuring the uniquely popular humorous style andengaging analogies developed by Dr Sompayrac, provide an introduction to the bigger picture, followed by practical discussion on how each of the componentsinteracts with one another. Now featuring full-color diagrams, this book hasbeen rigorously updated for its fourth edition to reflect todays immunology teaching and includes updated discussion of B and T cell memory, T cell activation, vaccines, immunodeficiency, and cancer. Whether you are completely new toimmunology, or require a refresher, How the Immune System Works is an enjoyable way of engaging with the key concepts you need know nothing of the workingsof the immune system to benefit from this book! INDICE: Introduction How to Use This Book This book is neither a comprehensive text nor an exam-review tool. It is an overview of the immune system designed to give anyone who is learning immunology a feel for how the system all fits together. Lecture 1 An Overview The immune system is a team effort, involving many different players who work together to provide a powerful defense against invaders. Focusing in on one player at a time makes it hard to understandthe game. Here we view the action from the grandstands to get a wide-angle picture of what the immune system is all about. Lecture 2 The Innate Immune System The innate immune system is a hard-wired defense that has evolved over millions of years to recognize pathogens that commonly infect humans. It provides a rapid and powerful defense against everyday invaders. Lecture 3 B Cells and Antibodies B cells and the antibodies they produce are part of the adaptive immune system. This defense evolves during our own lifetime to protect us against invaders that we, personally, have never encountered before. Lecture 4 TheMagic of Antigen Presentation T cells, another weapon of the adaptive immune system, only recognize invaders which are properly presented by specialized antigen presenting cells. This feature keeps these important cells focused on the particular attackers which they are able to defend against. Lecture 5 Activating T Cells Before they can spring into action, T cells must be activated. This requirement helps ensure that only useful weapons will be mobilized. Lecture 6 T Cells at Work Once they have been activated, helper T cells orchestrate the immune response, and killer T cells destroy infected cells. Lecture 7 Secondary Lymphoid Organs and Lymphocyte Trafficking B and T lymphocytes travel through secondary lymphoid organs looking for the invaders they can defend against. Once activated, B and T cells are dispatched to those areas of the body inwhich they can be most useful. Lecture 8 Restraining the Immune System The powerful weapons of the immune system must be restrained lest they become over exuberant. In addition, once an invader has been defeated, the immune system must be reset to prepare for future attacks. Lecture 9 Tolerance Induction and MHC Restriction T cells must be trained to focus on appropriately presented invaders, and B and T lymphocytes must learn not to attack our own bodies. Lecture 10 Immunological Memory B and T cells remember invaders we have previously encountered, and respond much more quickly and effectively to a subsequent attack by the same invader. Lecture 11 Vaccines Vaccines are used to safely mimic the attack of an invader so that our immune system will be primed and ready for a real attack. Lecture 12 The Immune System Gone Wrong The immune system generally does a good job of defending us while inflicting minimal collateral damage. Sometimes, however, mistakes are made. Lecture 13 Immunodeficiency Serious disease may result when our immune system d
- ISBN: 978-0-470-65729-4
- Editorial: John Wiley & Sons
- Encuadernacion: Rústica
- Páginas: 152
- Fecha Publicación: 20/01/2012
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés