Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Immune system
The immune system is the system of specialized cells and organs that protect an organism from outside biological influences. (Though in a broad sense, almost every organ has a protective function - for example, the tight seal of the skin or the acidic environment of the stomach.) When the immune system is functioning properly, it protects the body against bacteria and viral infections, destroying cancer cells and foreign substances.
Note: The above text is excerpted from the Wikipedia article "Immune system", which has been released under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Related Stories
1
2
Health & Medicine News
May 1, 2024
May 1, 2024 — The health benefits of exercise are well known but new research shows that the body's response to exercise is more complex and far-reaching than previously thought. In a study on rats, a team of scientists has found that physical activity causes ...
May 1, 2024 — With recent studies having established the presence of nano and microplastic particles in the respiratory systems of both human and bird populations, new research has modeled what happens when people ...
Apr. 24, 2024 — New research has highlighted the profound link between dietary choices and brain ...
Apr. 23, 2024 — Researchers describe the steps they took to manipulate DNA and proteins -- essential building blocks of life -- to create cells that look and act like cells from the body. This accomplishment, a first in the field, has implications for efforts in ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
May 1, 2024 — The team discovered that an essential nutrient called choline is transported into the brain, across the blood-brain barrier, by a protein transporter called FLVCR2. This is discovery will inform ...
Apr. 30, 2024 — A completely novel way to develop 'surpamolecules' for drug discovery could have application in immunotherapy as well as this breakthrough design for an anticoagulant with on-demand ...
Apr. 30, 2024 — After-care food and drink accounted for about 22% of the day's added sugar and about one-third of the sweet and salty snack foods the children ate, according to a new ...
Apr. 30, 2024 — Cranberry extracts appear to improve intestinal microbiota and help prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The study ...
May 1, 2024 — A team has identified a molecular cellular mechanism that is linked to microencephaly, a condition in which a baby's head is much smaller than ...
May 1, 2024 — Researchers uncover why some homes in rural Madagascar where bubonic plague is endemic are infested with fleas. Based on their findings, they ...
May 1, 2024 — A study has identified a therapy that can penetrate the slime that such infections use to protect themselves from antibiotics. Scientists showed that an antimicrobial peptide from cows has potential ...
May 1, 2024 — Early detection has the potential to transform treatment and outcomes in cancer care, especially for cancers like liver cancer, which is typically diagnosed at a late stage with limited options for ...
May 1, 2024 — Human embryo compaction, an essential step in the first days of an embryo's development, is driven by the contractility of its cells. These results contradict the presupposed driving role of cell ...
May 1, 2024 — An mRNA cancer vaccine quickly reprogrammed the immune system to attack the most aggressive type of brain tumor in a first-ever human clinical ...