immune response

immune response

n.

An integrated bodily response to an antigen, especially one mediated by lymphocytes and involving recognition of antigens by specific antibodies or previously sensitized lymphocytes.

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immune response  (-myn)

A protective response of the body's immune system to an antigen, especially a microorganism or virus that causes disease. The immune response involves the action of lymphocytes that deactivate antigens either by stimulating the production of antibodies (humoral immune response) or by a direct attack on foreign cells (cell-mediated immune response.) An inability to produce a normal immune response results in immunodeficiency diseases such as AIDS. See also cell-mediated immune responsehumoral immune response

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

immune response - a bodily defense reaction that recognizes an invading substance (an antigen: such as a virus or fungus or bacteria or transplanted organ) and produces antibodies specific against that antigen immune reaction, immunologic response response, reaction - a bodily process occurring due to the effect of some antecedent stimulus or agent; "a bad reaction to the medicine"; "his responses have slowed with age" anamnestic reaction, anamnestic response - renewed rapid production of an antibody on the second (or subsequent) encounter with the same antigen humoral immune response - an immune response (chiefly against bacterial invasion) that is mediated by B cells cell-mediated immune response - an immune response (chiefly against viral or fungal invasions or transplanted tissue) that involves T cells complement fixation - an immune response in which an antigen-antibody combination inactivates a complement (so it is unavailable to participate in a second antigen-antibody combination) bacteria, bacterium - (microbiology) single-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral or rod-shaped organisms lacking chlorophyll that reproduce by fission; important as pathogens and for biochemical properties; taxonomy is difficult; often considered to be plants fungus - an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia complement - one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response