The human immune system
Chapter 1
First contact and the cellular border patrol
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Chapter 2
The specialized forces of adaptive memory
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Chapter 3
The ancient global quest to train our defenses
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Chapter 4
When defenses misfire or overreact
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YOUR GOAL
Master of The human immune system
Ch 4 · When defenses misfire or overreact
Fun Fact
Microbiome defense partners: Over 100 trillion friendly bacteria live in your gut, actively training your immune cells to distinguish between harmless food and dangerous invaders.
Glossary
allergy (noun)
A damaging immune response by the body to a substance to which it has become hypersensitive. In 1906, Austrian pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet coined the term to describe these hypersensitive biological responses.
A damaging immune response by the body to a substance to which it has become hypersensitive. In 1906, Austrian pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet coined the term to describe these hypersensitive biological responses.
Quiz
Which autoimmune disease involves immune cells attacking the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas?
Quiz
What percentage of developing T cells are destroyed in the thymus because they react against the body's own proteins?
Quiz
What chemical do mast cells release in large amounts during an allergic reaction, causing swelling and itching?
Quiz
What is the name of the Nobel Prize-winning cancer treatment that unleashes the immune system by blocking cloaking signals?
Quiz
In rheumatoid arthritis, which part of the body is mistakenly targeted and attacked by the immune system?
Quiz
What does the "hygiene hypothesis" suggest is a major cause of modern increases in childhood allergies?