A short primer on fundamental immunology

Abstract

Mammals protect themselves against exogenous pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and toxins) and endogenous danger (malignancy) with a complex, interacting set of defence mechanisms. These include primordial identify and destroy strategies (innate immunity) as well as sophisticated detection and targeted killing processes that display exquisite specificity, multiple layers of regulation, and memory (adaptive immunity). In this chapter, the fundamental concepts of innate and adaptive immunity and how they interact are briefly reviewed. Further details on individual topics can be obtained in the indepth reviews cited. © 2007 Humana Press Inc.