The process by which blood cells grow, divide, and differentiate in the bone marrow is called hematopoiesis. Three general classes of cells are produced:
(1) red blood cells (erythrocytes), responsible for oxygen transport;
(2) platelets, responsible for the control of bleeding; and
(3) white blood cells (leukocytes), the vast majority of which are involved in host defense. (more…)
Our understanding of hematopoiesis has advanced greatly in recent years with the isolation and characterization of hematopoietic st ...
Although it is commonly imagined that hematopoiesis takes place in a liquid environment resembling the blood, with progenitors resp ...
Neutrophils make up an army of more-or-less identical circulating phagocytes that are poised to respond quickly and in vast numbers ...
The Ras-dependent pathway can be triggered by a variety of cytokine receptors, as well as by certain adhesion molecules and by ...
Hematopoietic progenitors depend on a variety of cytokines to control their growth and differentiation. These include several d ...
Natural killer cells: history and current status
Natural killer cells are a major component of the immune system, which play important roles in host defense against cancer and microbial infections. Natural killer cells are distinct from T or B lymphocytes, with a characteristic morphology of large granular cells, and can be readily identified by characteristic cell surface molecules. (more…)
The body's innate resistance to many pathogens is provided by enzymes and other proteins in the blood and tissue fluids. These ...
Innate immunity depends on both resident and recruited leukocytes. The macrophage without doubt plays an import- ant role in the de ...
Some of the immediate sequelae of injury are uncomfortably familiar: Soon after an injury occurs, the affected site and its sur ...
Regulatory T cells Treg (picture above) is the existence of suppressor cells, which limit ongoing immune responses and prevent ...
Contact of pathogens with the innate immune system will most frequently occur at epithelia, and the biology of the airway epitheliu ...
The main reason that your body has an immune system is for your survival. Without immune system, human body is a delightful place for microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites to live. The condition of your body is really conducive for microbes bacteria to grow. Your body is warm, moist and full of nutrients, this is the perfect condition for microbes bacteria to survive and reproduce. But do not expect gratitude from those microbes bacteria you have in your body system. Most of them have no idea what happens to you. Some of them can cause illness and some can be deadly. (more…)
The final stage of the disease process (although it may not be the final stage of the infection) is the actual production of di ...
Immune system is your body’s defense mechanism to protect from infectious organism and other living object invaded your body. T ...
Most initial infections are local, i.e. the infectious agent gains entry to the body at a single site, e.g. via an insect bite ...
There are thousands of components to the immune system, and during the course of learning about some of these it can appear tha ...
Natural killer cells: history and current status Natural killer cells are a major component of the immune system, which pla ...