antigen - the portion of a foreign substance or germ that can cause the immune system to become active against it.
antibiotics - Medicines used to treat some bacterial diseases.
autoantibody - an antibody that reacts against the body's own tissue
autoimmune disease - a disease that results when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and type 1 diabetes are examples of autoimmune diseases.
B cells(also called B lymphocytes) - white blood cells that come from bone marrow and develop into plasma cells, mature B cells capable of producing antibody.
bronchi - airways in the lungs
cell - building block that makes up tissues, organs, systems, and bloodstream of the body.
chromosome - physical structure in a cell that houses genes. Almost every human cell has 23 pairs of chromosomes (egg and sperm cells have half).
complement - a series of blood proteins whose action "complements" the work of antibodies. Complement destroys bacteria, produces inflammation, and regulates immune reactions.
gene - a unit of genetic material that is inherited from a parent. A gene carries the directions a cell uses to perform a specific function, like making proteins. Genes are made of DNA, the basic chemical unit of life.
granulocyte - a cell filled with potent chemicals that destroy germs and reduce inflammation.
hepatitis - a liver disease.
IgA, immunoglobulin A - a type of antibody concentrated in mucous membranes and body fluids like tears, saliva, and secretions of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract.
IgG, immunoglobulin G - the major antibody found in the blood that can enter tissues. It coats germs, helping other cells to seek and destroy them.
IgM, immunoglobulin M - an antibody that remains in the bloodstream where it can kill bacteria that enter the blood stream.
immunoglobulins - a large family of proteins, also known as antibodies. There are five classes of immunoglobulins: IgA, IgM, IgG, IgD, and IgE. Only IgA, IgG, and IgM are further classified into specific subclasses, denoted by a numeric suffix (for example, IgG2).
immune response - reactions of the immune system to foreign substances.
immune system - complex network of specialized cells and organs that has evolved to defend the body against attacks by foreign invaders.
immunity - protection from disease-causing microbes.
immunization - the process of inducing protection (immunity) against the destructive forces of a disease-causing microbe.
infection - a state in which microorganisms have invaded or multiplied in body tissues.
inflammation - an immune system tool to stop the progression of disease-causing microbes, sometimes seen at the site of an injury like a cut. Signs of it include redness, swelling, and heat.
lymph nodes - small bean-shaped organs of the immune system, distributed widely throughout the body. They are fortresses of B, T, and other immune cells.
lymphocytes - small white blood cells (B and T cells) that are the major players in immune defense.
neutrophils - an important white blood cell that is both a phagocyte and a granulocyte abundant in the blood.
microbes - an important white blood cell that is both a phagocyte and a granulocyte abundant in the blood.
mutation - a change in a cell's DNA that may cause the cell to produce an abnormal protein.
opportunistic infections - infections caused by microbes that usually do not cause disease in healthy individuals, but which can result in overwhelming and widespread infection in people with immune deficiency.
phagocytes - large white blood cells that contribute to immune defense by engulfing microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, or other cells and foreign particles.
T cells (T lymphocytes) - white blood cells that either orchestrate the immune response (regulatory T cells) or directly attack infected or malignant cells (cytotoxic T cells).
tissue - a group of similar cells joined to perform the same function.
tissue type - the type of histocompatibility antigens on a person's cells or tissues. If the histocompatibility antigens do not match well, there is a much greater chance that the recipient will reject the donated tissue.
vaccine - substance that contains parts of antigens from an infectious microbe. By stimulating an immune response (but not disease), it protects the body against subsequent infection by that organism.
For More Information:
reproduced from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Fact Sheet on Primary Immune Deficiency
