Introductory Immunology quickly acquaints readers with natural immune responses manifesting in diseases and disorders. The book presents a complete picture of natural defenses to infectious agents, as well as the mechanisms that lead to autoimmune dysfunction. In addition, it examines immunologically based diseases, giving the reader sufficient knowledge to make sound clinical decisions leading to better treatment outcomes. Introductory Immunology is aimed at researchers, postgraduates, or any scientifically inclined reader interested in immunology. No prior expertise in medical, biochemical, or cellular science is needed to benefit from the clear presentation of immunology concepts in this book. Quick, concise introduction to immunological concepts Breaks down all of immunology into manageable, logically digestible building blocks Geared toward readers without medical, biochemical, or cellular expertise

Immunology has emerged as a key component of the curricula of graduate and postgraduate courses in biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and other interdisciplinary fields of biology, including zoology, veterinary science, and medicine. As a basic introductory textbook on one of the fastest-moving and most challenging areas of immunological science, this book contains the most recent information about immunologic mechanisms and their importance, along with various molecular techniques employed in immunology. The short and concise text helps make the structures, processes, and interactions of the immune system easily comprehensible. The book includes chapters on immunoinformatics as well as the immune system of the brain, rarely found in any of the immunology books published so far. Many diverse and interesting aspects of the advances in immunology have also been covered, including tumor immunology and immunodeficiency disorders. The easy-to-understand concepts presented in the textbook make it an ideal companion for learners preparing for competitive and other examinations. Undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students, people from the industry and academia, and research scholars will immensely benefit from it.

The immune system is central to human health and the focus of much medical research. Growing understanding of the immune system, and especially the creation of immune memory (long lasting protection), which can be harnessed in the design of vaccines, have been major breakthroughs in medicine. In this Very Short Introduction, Paul Klenerman describes the immune system, and how it works in health and disease. In particular he focuses on the human immune system, considering how it evolved, the basic rules that govern its behavior, and the major health threats where it is important. The immune system comprises a series of organs, cells and chemical messengers which work together as a team to provide defence against infection. Klenerman discusses these components, the critical signals that trigger them and how they exert their protective effects, including so-called innate immune responses, which react very fast to infection, and adaptive immune responses, which have huge diversity and a capacity to recognize and defend against a massive array of micro-organisms. Klenerman also considers what happens when our immune systems fail to be activated effectively, leading to serious infections, problems with inherited diseases, and also HIV/AIDS. At the opposite extreme, as Klenerman shows, an over-exaggerated immune response leads to inflammatory diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis, as well as allergy and asthma. Finally he looks at the Immune system v2.o - how immune therapies and vaccines can be advanced to protect us against the major diseases of the 21st century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The 2nd edition of this popular text emphasizes the fundamental concepts and principles of human immunology that students need to know, without overwhelming them with extraneous material. It leads the reader to a firm understanding of basic principles, using full-color illustrations; short, easy-to-read chapters; color tables that summarize key information clinical cases; and much more-all in a conveniently sized volume that's easy to carry. The New Edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect the many advances that are expanding our understanding of the field. The smart way to study! Elsevier titles with STUDENT CONSULT will help you master difficult concepts and study more efficiently in print and online! Perform rapid searches. Integrate bonus content from other disciplines. Download text to your handheld device. And a lot more. Each STUDENT CONSULT title comes with full text online, a unique image library, case studies, USMLE style questions, and online note-taking to enhance your learning experience. Your purchase of this book entitles you to access www.studentconsult.com at no extra charge. This innovative web site offers you... Access to the complete text and illustrations of this book. Integration links to bonus content in other STUDENT CONSULT titles. Content clipping for your handheld. An interactive community center with a wealth of additional resources. The more STUDENT CONSULT titles you buy, the more resources you can access online! Look for the STUDENT CONSULT logo on your favorite Elsevier textbooks! All of the scientific advances that are expanding the knowledge base in this rapidly evolving field.

Introductory Immunology: Basic Concepts for Interdisciplinary Applications, 3rd Edition, is a completely updated, revised, and expanded concise, conceptual approach to understanding the immune systems as a primary defense to maintain health and homeostasis. This expanded version includes the aspects of microbiology and related immune defense mechanisms important in combating disease, as well critical components related to the field of vaccine development. Immunology as a subject is no longer confined to the realms of "immunology" or "microbiology" studies. Indeed, the subject matter has become increasingly important to understand complex mechanisms found within a wider range of biological systems. This book aims specifically at educated audiences who do not have a deep understanding of medical, biochemical, or cellular knowledge. The overall text will present concepts that portray a comprehensive picture of the natural defenses to infectious agents as well as provide an introduction to mechanisms that lead to autoimmune dysfunction. In addition, immunological diseases will be detailed, with the goal of allowing the readers to gain sufficient knowledge to make sound choices for clinical decisions to affect treatment outcomes. This new edition expands on the existing chapters, focusing on updating the previous text. It has been expanded to include knowledge on effector mechanisms addressing components inherent within cellular responses that are either newly discovered, or missing from the previous edition. It has an extra emphasis on aspects related to mechanisms important in combating microbial agents and critical sections on how vaccines protect against pathogenic invaders to limit associated pathology. The goal is that Introductory Immunology will become the preferred provider of core knowledge in immunology to build a foundation to explore components of the human immune system that work together to confer and understand dysregulation that causes clinical diseases. This book serves as a basic platform to define therapeutic interventions by: creating appreciation for components of the human immune system to work together to confer lifelong protection; providing a core knowledge in immunology to build a foundation to explore mechanisms involved in clinical disease, and defining functional aspects of immunological terms to permit the reader easy access to comprehend specific topics; presenting introduction to complex immunological concepts in a concise and easy manner that relates to clinical disease; breaking down all of immunology into manageable, logically digestible building blocks, and providing a map to explore overlapping mechanisms of immune protective responses; providing a platform to readers without medical, biochemical, or cellular expertise to understand and appreciate how immunology controls homeostasis and protects against pathogens.

In this updated edition of Basic Immunology, the authors continue to deliver a clear, modern introduction to immunology, making this the obvious choice for today's busy students. Their experience as teachers, course directors, and lecturers helps them to distill the core information required to understand this complex field. Through the use of high-quality illustrations, relevant clinical cases, and concise, focused text, it's a perfectly accessible introduction to the workings of the human immune system, with an emphasis on clinical relevance. Concise, clinically focused content is logically organized by mechanism for efficient mastery of the material. Features an appendix of clinical cases and CD molecules. Includes numerous full-color illustrations, useful tables, and chapter outlines. Focus questions within each chapter are ideal for self-assessment and review. Key points bolded throughout the text make it easy to locate important information. Presents information in a format and style that maximizes usefulness to students and teachers studying medicine, allied health fields, and biology. Fully updated content equips you with the latest relevant advances in immunology. Revised and updated artwork enhances your visual learning of important principles and reduces the excessive factual details found in larger textbooks. Twelve brand-new animations available on Student Consult help further explain complex concepts. Student Consult eBook version included with purchase. This enhanced eBook experience gives you access to the text, figures, images, glossary of immunology terms, self-assessment questions, and references on a variety of devices.