Main description:

Immunology at a Glance provides a user-friendly overview of the body s defence mechanisms. Ideal from day one of a medical, biomedical or life science course, the text begins with a basic overview of both adaptive and innate immunity, before progressing to applied immunological concepts, which look at what happens when things go wrong, and how, in clinical medicine, each body system can be affected by immunity. Each double-page spread corresponds to a typical lecture and diagrammatically summarises core concepts in immunology, through accessible schematic diagrams on left-hand pages, with key points concisely summarised on the right-hand page. There are also self-assessment essay questions so you can test your knowledge. New for this 10th edition: * Thoroughly updated and reorganised chapters offer greater clarity and easier understanding for those new to the subject * New chapters on cytokine receptors and Immunology in the Laboratory * A completely re-written section on autoimmunity * A brand new companion website featuring self-assessment questions and PowerPoint slides of images from the book, ideal for teaching and revision at www.ataglanceseries.com/immunology Immunology at a Glance is the ideal companion for anyone about to start a new course in immunology and will appeal to medical and biomedical science students.
Perfect for exam preparation, it provides the concepts and frameworks you need to succeed in your exam.

Contents:

Preface 6 Acknowledgements 6 Note on the tenth edition 6 How to use this book 7 Further reading 7 List of abbreviations 8 Immunity 1 The scope of immunology 10 2 Innate and adaptive immune mechanisms 12 3 Recognition and receptors: the keys to immunity 14 4 Cells involved in immunity: the haemopoietic system 16 Innate immunity 5 Receptors of the innate immune system 18 6 Complement 20 7 Acute infl ammation 22 8 Phagocytic cells and the reticuloendothelial system 24 9 Phagocytosis 26 Adaptive immunity (i) The molecular basis 10 Evolution of recognition molecules: the immunoglobulin superfamily 28 11 The major histocompatibility complex 30 12 The T-cell receptor 32 13 Antibody diversifi cation and synthesis 34 14 Antibody structure and function 36 (ii) The cellular basis 15 Lymphocytes 38 16 Primary lymphoid organs and lymphopoiesis 40 17 Secondary lymphoid organs and lymphocyte traffic 42 (iii) The adaptive immune response 18 Antigen processing and presentation 44 19 The antibody response 46 20 Antigen antibody interaction and immune complexes 48 21 Cell-mediated immune responses 50 (iv) Regulation 22 Tolerance 52 23 Cell communication and cytokines 54 24 The cytokine network 56 25 Immunity, hormones and the brain 58 Potentially useful immunity 26 Antimicrobial immunity: a general scheme 60 27 Immunity to viruses 62 28 HIV and AIDS 64 29 Immunity to bacteria 66 30 Immunity to fungi and ectoparasites 68 31 Immunity to protozoa 70 32 Immunity to worms 72 Undesirable effects of immunity 33 Immunodeficiency 74 34 Harmful immunity: a general scheme 76 35 Allergy and anaphylaxis 78 36 Immune complexes, complement and disease 80 37 Chronic and cell-mediated infl ammation 82 38 Autoimmune disease 84 Altered immunity 39 Transplant rejection 86 40 Immunosuppression 88 41 Immunostimulation and vaccination 90 Immunity in health and disease 42 Cancer immunology 92 43 Immunity and clinical medicine 94 44 Investigating immunity 96 45 Immunology in the laboratory 98 46 Out of the past: evolution of immune mechanisms 100 47 Into the future: immunology in the age of genomics 102 Self-assessment Self-assessment questions 105 Answers 107 Appendices Appendix I Comparative sizes and molecular weights 109 Appendix II Landmarks in the history of immunology and some unsolved problems 111 Appendix III CD classification 113 Index 115