CHRISTINE P.

ALAYON
BS BIOL ELEC II (2017-2018)
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

Immunology As Branch Of Biology

What is Immunology?
– Immunology is the study of the immune system and is a very important branch of the medical and
biological sciences. The immune system protects us from infection through various lines of defence. If the
immune system is not functioning as it should, it can result in disease, such as autoimmunity, allergy and
cancer. It is also now becoming clear that immune responses contribute to the development of many
common disorders not traditionally viewed as immunologic, including metabolic, cardiovascular, and
neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s.

What is Immunology? By Ananya Mandal, MD

– Immunology is the branch of biomedical science that deals with the response of an organism to antigenic
challenge and its recognition of what is self and what is not. It deals with the defence mechanisms
including all physical, chemical and biological properties of the organism that help it to combat its
susceptibility to foreign organisms, material, etc.
– Immunology deals with physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and
disease as well as malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders like allergies,
hypersensitivities, immune deficiency, transplant rejection and autoimmune disorders.
– Immunology deals with physical, chemical and physiological characteristics of the components of the
immune system in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. Immunology has a vast array of uses in several disciplines of
science and medical science.

Innate and Adaptive Immune Systems

– The immune system is divided into those which are static, or innate to the organism, and those which are
responsive, or adaptive to a potential pathogen or foreign substance.
– The innate system of immunity is on evolutionary terms, the older system that forms the first line of
defence. It is non-specific and the resistance is static (it does not improve with repeated exposure and there
is no memory on subsequent exposures). This includes physical defences such as skin & epithelial surfaces,
cilia, commensual flora, acidic gastric contents, fever etc. Others are biochemical defences such as soluble -
lysosyme, acute phase reactants and complement, fibronectin, interferons. Cellular components include
natural killer cells, RES phagocytes.
– The adaptive system is the second line of defence and is activated once the innate system has been
overwhelmed. It is specific to the infective agent and can store the information about the invader as
memory to show an enhanced response to subsequent challenge.

Key Lymphoid Organs of the Immune System

– The key primary lymphoid organs of the immune system are thymus and bone marrow, and secondary
lymphatic tissues such as spleen, tonsils, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, adenoids, and skin.
– In good health thymus, spleen, portions of bone marrow, lymph nodes and secondary lymphatic tissues can
be surgically removed without much harm to humans.
– The actual components of the immune system are cellular in nature and not associated with any specific
organ. They are widely present in circulation throughout the body.

What is the Scope of Immunology?

1 Classical immunology 6 Diagnostic immunology
2 Clinical immunology 7 Cancer immunology
3 Developmental immunology 8 Reproductive immunology
4 Ecoimmunology and Behavioural Immunity 9 Theoretical immunology
5 Immunotherapy
 System Immune
Subdivisions • Cellular
• Clinical
• Genetic (Immunogenetics) Humoral
• Molecular
Significant diseases • Autoimmune disease
• Hypersensitivity
• Immune disorder
• Immunodeficiency
Significant tests • Agglutination
• Immunoassay
• Immunoprecipitation
• Serology
Specialist Immunologist

Who are Immunologists?

– According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), "an immunologist is
a research scientist who investigates the immune system of vertebrates (including humans). Immunologists
include research scientists (PhDs) who work in laboratories. Immunologists also include physicians who,
for example, treat patients with immune system disorders. Some immunologists are physician-scientists
who combine laboratory research with patient care.”

What are the applications of Immunology?

– Bioscience is the overall major in which undergraduate students who are interested in general well-being
take in college. Immunology is a branch of bioscience for undergraduate programs but the major gets
specified as students move on for graduate program in immunology. The aim of immunology is to study the
health of humans and animals through effective yet consistent research, (AAAAI, 2013).The most
important thing about being immunologists is the research because it is the biggest portion of their jobs.
– Many universities offer graduate programs in immunology. A master's degree requires two years of study
following the attainment of a bachelor's degree. For a doctoral programme it is required to take two
additional years of study.
– The American Association of Immunologists offers an Introductory Course and an Advanced Course. The
Introductory Course is a course that gives students an overview of the basics of immunology and will
complement general biology or science training. It has two different parts: Part I is an introduction to the
basic principles of immunology and Part II is a clinically-oriented lecture series. On the other hand, the
Advanced Course is a course for those who wish to expand or update their understanding of immunology.
It is advised for students who want to attend the Advanced Course to have a background of the principles of
immunology.
– The expectation of occupational growth in immunology is an increase of 36 percent from 2010 to 2020.The
median annual wage was $76,700 in May 2010. However, the lowest 10 percent of immunologists earned
less than $41,560, and the top 10 percent earned more than $142,800, (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013).
The practice of immunology itself is not specified by the U.S. Department of Labor but it belongs to the
practice of life science in general.

What are the recent advances in Immunology?

– Hepatitis E virus: advances and challenges
– Immunogenicity and loss of response to TNF inhibitors: implications for rheumatoid arthritis treatment
– MafB is a critical regulator of complement component C1q
– Checkpoint kinase 1 is essential for normal B cell development and lymphomagenesis
– The effect of weight change over a 2-year period on inflammatory status in postmenopausal women
– Granulocyte-derived TNFα promotes vascular and hematopoietic regeneration in the bone marrow