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| Learn more: Glossary |
Immune system: refers to the collection of mechanisms involving cells, tissues and
organs that protects organisms against disease by identifying and killing
pathogens and tumour cells.
Immunity: to the state or quality of being resistant (immune) from
infectious disease, either by virtue of previous exposure (adaptive immunity)
or as an inherent trait (innate immunity).
Immunization: the process of producing a state of immunity in a subject.
Immunogen: A substance capable of eliciting an immune response. All immunogens
are antigens, but some antigens are not immunogens (e.g., haptens).
Immunogenicity: The capacity of a substance to induce an immune response under a given
set of conditions.
Innate immunity/inborn/genetic/heritable: Nonspecific host defences that exist
prior to exposure to an antigen and involve anatomic, physiologic, endocytic
and phagocytic and inflammatory mechanisms.
Adaptive immunity/acquired/specific: Host defences that are mediated by B and T cells following exposure to
antigen and that exhibit specificity, diversity, memory and
self/non-self-recognition.
