Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Concept Videos

Humoral Immune Responses01:36

Humoral Immune Responses

Overview
Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection01:26

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...
Immunodeficiency Diseases01:25

Immunodeficiency Diseases

Immunodeficiency disorders are conditions in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious disease and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. The immune system comprises a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body from potentially harmful invaders. When this system is deficient or not functioning properly, it leaves the body susceptible to infections, diseases, or other complications.
There are three main causes of immunodeficiency disorders...
Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells01:01

Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

All blood and immune cells are produced from the multipotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by the process of hematopoiesis. However, they all have a limited life span. In addition, many are depleted in immune surveillance or combatting an injury or infection. This makes blood one of the most regenerative tissues. Hematopoiesis helps replenish these blood and immune cells, restoring the body's normal functioning. However, overproduction of blood and immune cells can make them cancerous or...
Mismatch Repair01:20

Mismatch Repair

Organisms are capable of detecting and fixing nucleotide mismatches that occur during DNA replication. This sophisticated process requires identifying the new strand and replacing the erroneous bases with correct nucleotides. Mismatch repair is coordinated by many proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Bio-energetic traits and hemoglobin as drivers of tolerance to combined exposure to metals and warming.

Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2026
Same author

Extending space-for-time substitutions: the missing role of the gut microbiome.

Journal of evolutionary biology·2026
Same author

The Paradoxical Toxicity of Microplastics under Predation Risk: The Driving Role of Gut Microbiota-Mediated Tolerance.

Environmental science & technology·2026
Same author

Rapid thermal evolution reduces synergisms with a metal across a thermal gradient.

Journal of hazardous materials·2026
Same author

Adaptive Transgenerational Effects Offset the Increased Toxicity of the Pesticide Chlorpyrifos under Heat Stress.

Environmental science & technology·2025
Same author

Investigating the core microbiome concept: Daphnia as a case study.

Environmental microbiome·2025
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Measuring Mitochondrial Function of Naïve and Effector CD8 T Cells
06:07

Measuring Mitochondrial Function of Naïve and Effector CD8 T Cells

Published on: March 28, 2025

Autotomy reduces immune function and antioxidant defence.

Stefanie Slos1, Marjan De Block, Robby Stoks

  • 1Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Leuven, Debériotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. stefanie.slos@bio.kuleuven.be

Biology Letters
|October 16, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Autotomy, a defense mechanism, incurs physiological costs. Damselfly larvae undergoing autotomy exhibited reduced innate immunity and antioxidant defenses, revealing a novel cost of this antipredator strategy.

More Related Videos

Murine Model of Epicutaneously-Induced Immunomodulation
09:07

Murine Model of Epicutaneously-Induced Immunomodulation

Published on: June 24, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Measuring Mitochondrial Function of Naïve and Effector CD8 T Cells
06:07

Measuring Mitochondrial Function of Naïve and Effector CD8 T Cells

Published on: March 28, 2025

Murine Model of Epicutaneously-Induced Immunomodulation
09:07

Murine Model of Epicutaneously-Induced Immunomodulation

Published on: June 24, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Antipredator defenses like autotomy (self-amputation) are crucial for survival.
  • Costs of autotomy are often attributed to impaired mobility.
  • Physiological costs, including immune and antioxidant responses, may also be significant.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the physiological costs of autotomy in damselfly larvae.
  • To assess changes in innate immunity and antioxidant defenses post-autotomy.
  • To explore the relationship between immune markers and antioxidant enzymes after autotomy.

Main Methods:

  • Larvae of the damselfly Lestes viridis underwent lamellae autotomy.
  • Measurements of innate immunity (phenoloxidase, PO) were taken.
  • Levels of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT) were quantified.

Main Results:

  • Autotomy led to decreased levels of innate immunity (PO) and SOD.
  • Catalase (CAT) levels remained unaffected post-autotomy.
  • PO showed a positive correlation with CAT and a negative correlation with SOD.

Conclusions:

  • Autotomy incurs a novel physiological cost through reduced innate immunity.
  • This immune cost may explain other observed costs of autotomy.
  • Reduced immunity after autotomy could lead to indirect ecological interactions.