Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Social Identity

Social Identity

Social identity constitutes a significant aspect of an individual’s self-concept, shaped by membership in various social groups, including gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. Individuals associate specific traits with particular social groups, leading to internalization of these traits. For example, musicians are often perceived as creative, while women are frequently associated with nurturing tendencies. Once individuals identify with a particular...

In- and Out-Groups

In- and Out-Groups

People all belong to a gender, race, age, and social economic group. These groups provide a powerful source of our identity and self-esteem (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and serve as our in-groups. An in-group is a group that we identify with or see ourselves as belonging to.

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...

Immunological Memory

Immunological Memory

Immunological memory, a pivotal pillar of the adaptive immune system, is responsible for the body's ability to remember and respond more swiftly and effectively to previously encountered pathogens. This remarkable feature is what makes vaccines so effective in preventing diseases.
What is Immunological Memory?
Immunological memory is an integral function of the immune system that allows it to recognize and react more rapidly and effectively to pathogens previously encountered. This feature is...

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other

According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group effort.

Active versus Passive Immunity

Active versus Passive Immunity

Immunity, along with the ability to limit pathogen growth to prevent significant body tissue damage, can be gained either by (1) actively developing an immune response within the individual after exposure to a pathogen or after getting vaccinated or (2) passively transferring immune components from an immune individual to one who is nonimmune. Both these forms of immunity can be found naturally and in medical practices.
Active Immunity
Active immunity refers to the resistance one develops...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Altruistic disease signalling in ant colonies.

Nature communications·2025

Same author

Complex effects of climatic variation on bumblebee queen fitness.

The Journal of animal ecology·2025

Same author

Two matings lead to more copulatory wounding than a single mating in female <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2025

Same author

Trade-offs in virulence evolution: a Hierarchy-of-Hypotheses approach.

Trends in parasitology·2025

Same author

Unconditional versus condition-dependent social immunity.

Trends in parasitology·2024

Same author

How frequently are insects wounded in the wild? A case study using <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>.

Royal Society open science·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Developing a Salivary Antibody Multiplex Immunoassay to Measure Human Exposure to Environmental Pathogens

Developing a Salivary Antibody Multiplex Immunoassay to Measure Human Exposure to Environmental Pathogens

Published on: September 12, 2016

Social immunity.

Sylvia Cremer¹, Sophie A O Armitage, Paul Schmid-Hempel

¹Biology 1, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany. sylvia.cremer@biologie.uni-regensburg.de

Current Biology : CB

|August 24, 2007

Summary

Social insects protect themselves from parasites through cooperative "social immune systems." These systems involve behavioral, physiological, and organizational adaptations to prevent disease spread within the colony.

Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Behavioral Ecology

Background:

Social insects face increased disease transmission risks due to group living.
Collective immune defenses, termed 'social immune systems,' have evolved to mitigate these risks.
Understanding these systems is crucial for comprehending sociality and disease dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and categorize parasite transmission pathways into insect colonies.
To predict and present evidence for colony-level defense mechanisms against parasites.
To explore the regulation and evolutionary basis of social immunity.

Main Methods:

Literature review of social insect immunity and parasite interactions.
Framework development based on parasite entry routes to predict defenses.

More Related Videos

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

Published on: November 19, 2015

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes

Published on: December 15, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Developing a Salivary Antibody Multiplex Immunoassay to Measure Human Exposure to Environmental Pathogens

Developing a Salivary Antibody Multiplex Immunoassay to Measure Human Exposure to Environmental Pathogens

Published on: September 12, 2016

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

Published on: November 19, 2015

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes

Published on: December 15, 2023

Synthesis of existing evidence on collective defense strategies.

Main Results:

Identified diverse parasite pathways into social insect colonies.
Documented collective defenses that are both proactive (prophylactic) and reactive.
Highlighted the role of behavioral, physiological, and organizational adaptations in colony defense.

Conclusions:

Social immunity involves complex, integrated colony-level responses to parasites.
Regulation of social immunity requires information processing on parasites and colony status.
The evolution of social immunity is shaped by selection pressures at individual and colony levels.