Terminologies in Serology and Immunology

Terms	Definition
Antigen	Any substance which, when introduced parenterally into a living body, evokes immune response with the production a specific antibody with which it should neutralize the antigen.
Antibody	A protective protein produced by the immune system in response to the presence of a foreign substance called an antigen.
Serum	The fluid & solute component of blood which does not play a role in clotting.
Anti- Serum	Blood Serum that contains antibodies against an infective organism or poisonous substance.
Positive Serum	Serum with specific antibody
Negative serum	Blood serum without antibody
Immuno competent	Ability of the body to produce a normal immune response following exposure to an antigen.
Immuno- Compromised	Reduced ability to fight infection and other disease. (Having weakened immune System )
Immuno- Supression	The state in which your immune System is not functioning as well as it should .
Pathogen	Adjunct that cause disease
Pathogenicity	Ability of pathogen to cause disease.
Virulence	Degree of pathogenicity caused by organism.
Antigenic Shift	Genetic alteration occurring in an infectious agent that cause a dramatic change in a protein called an antigen, which stimulates the production of antibodies by the immune System of humans and other animals.
Antigenic Drift	Is  a kind of genetic Variation in viruses, arising from the accumulation of mutations in the virus genes that codes for virus- surface proteins that host antibodies recognize.
Serology	The branch of science dealing with the measurement and characterization of antibodies, antigens, and other immunological substances in body fluids (serum) or even plants that are virus-infected.
Immune System	A complex network of cells and protein that defends the body against infection.
Immunoglobulin	Glycoprotein molecules produce by plasma cells (white blood cells)
Innate Immunity	Non specific, defense system with which you were born.
Adaptive immunity	Acquired or specific immunity, Made in organized lymphoid tissue
Natural immunity	After you get infected by a germ and your immune system respond by making antibody to it.
Artificial Immunity	Artificial immunity is a mean by which the body is given immunity to a disease by intentional exposure to small quantities of it
Autoimmunity	Autoimmunity is the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells, tissues and other body normal constituents.
Immuninoglobin Class	mmunoglobulin of the same class that is detectable in the constant heavy chain region, and differs in electrophoretic mobility and antigenic determinant, and function, e.g. IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4
Apoptosis	Programmed cell death: a mode of cell death which occurs under physiological conditions and is controlled by the dying cell itself (‘cell suicide’).
Immunization	The act of making someone or something immune or the state of being immune.
Adjuvent	Any foreign material introduced with an antigen to enhance its immunogenecity, e.g. killed bacteria, (mycobacteria), emulsions (Freund’s adjuvant) or precipitates (alums).
Antigen presenting cell	A variety of cell types which carry antigen in a form that can stimulate lymphocytes.
Adaptive Immunotherapy	The transfer of immune cells for therapeutic benefit
Cytokines	These are hormones produced by white blood cells (lymphocytes) that communicate with other cells of the immune system, recruiting them to perform more aggressive roles in the fighting off of infection or in the rejection of something from the body such as a baby, a kidney or a bone marrow transplant
clonal selection	The fundamental basis of lymphocyte activation in which antigen selectively causes activation, division and differentiation only in those cells which express receptors with which it can combine.
CD t helper cell	This is a T lymphocyte that helps activate CD3 cells in an immunity response by producing cytokines that cause proliferation, differentiation and growth of other cells necessary for completing the immune reaction. These are usually high normal in women with infertility and recurrent pregnancy losse
Dentrite Cells	Derived from either the lymphoid or mononuclear phagocyte lineages. A set of cells present in tissues, which capture antigen and migrate to lymph nodes and spleen, where they are particularly active in presenting the processed antigen to T cells.
Killer Cells	Type of cytotoxic lymphocyte that is able to mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC)
Langerhans cell	Antigen-presenting cells of the skin which emigrates to local lymph nodes to become dendritic cells; they are very active in presenting antigen to T cells.
Natural killer cells	Type of cytotoxic lymphocyte that has the intrinsic ability to recognize and destroy virally infected cells and some tumour cells. Specializes in killing cells that express little or no MHC molecule.
Suppressor Cells	Functionally defined populations of T cells which reduce  the immune responses of other T cells or B cells, or switch the response into a different pathway to that under investigation.
Helper t cells	A functional subclass of T cells which can help generate cytotoxic T cells and cooperate with B cells in the production of antibody responses. Helper cells recognize antigen in association with class II molecules.
Halotype	A set of genetic determinants coded by closely linked genes on a single chromosome.
Hapter	A substance of low molecular weight which is not itself immunogenic, but which can bind to an antibody molecule and produce a new antigenic determinant.
Heterophile Antigen	Antigen which occurs in tissues of many different species and is therefore highly crossreactive, e.g. Paul–Bunnell antigen which reacts with both sheep and beef erythrocytes.
idiotype	Unique antigenic determinant on the antigen-binding regioon f an immunoglobulin molecule
Intrgrim	One of the ‘families’ of adhesion molecules, some of which interact with cell adhesion molecules, and others with components of the extracellular matrix
Isologous	Originating from the same individual or member of the same inbred strain.
Isotype	The class or subclass of an immunoglobulin common to all members of that species. Each isotype is encoded by a separate immunoglobulin constant region gene sequence that is carried by all members of a species.
Fibrinolysis	These are special proteins in the blood of all normal persons that help blood clots that formed dissolve.
Hypersensitivity	Exaggerated response of our immune system to non-harmful antigen
Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)	Group of genes encoding the protein found on the surfaces of cells that helps the immune system recognize foreign substances
Immunological deficiency	Condition in which there is loss or defect in a component of immune system.
Inherited Immunological deficiency	cause by recessive gene defects
Vaccination	Treatment with a vaccine
Opsonization	Coating of pathogen with antibody in order to increase their susceptibility to ingestion by phagocytes
Epitopes	Part of antigen recognized by immune system
Paratopes	part of antibody that bind to the epitope
Atopy	Condition when individuals make Ig E continuously & excessively