Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
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 Concept Videos

Introduction to Lymphatic and Immune System01:23

Introduction to Lymphatic and Immune System

Immunity is a crucial biological concept about our body's inherent capacity to prevent infections and diseases. A complex network of cells and tissues collectively known as the immune system facilitates this natural defense mechanism. The immune system plays an integral role in maintaining our health and well-being, shielding us from potential health threats.
The immune responses can be categorized into two types: innate and adaptive. Innate immunity comprises nonspecific defenses we are born...
Introduction to Innate and Adaptive Immunity01:21

Introduction to Innate and Adaptive Immunity

The human immune system is a complex defense mechanism that protects the body from harmful pathogens and foreign substances. It comprises two crucial components: innate and adaptive immunity.
Innate immunity is the body's natural, nonspecific defense system that acts quickly to protect against pathogens. It incorporates physical barriers like skin and mucous membranes and cellular elements such as phagocytes and natural killer cells. This part of our immune system provides an immediate,...
What is the Immune System?01:38

What is the Immune System?

Overview
Functions of the Lymphatic and Immune System01:28

Functions of the Lymphatic and Immune System

The lymphatic system plays a crucial role in bolstering our immune system. It consists of a network of lymphoid organs, lymph, and lymphatic vessels that provide structural and functional support in safeguarding the body against pathogens such as viruses and bacteria.
The primary lymphoid organs, including the bone marrow and the thymus, serve as the maturation sites for lymphocytes. Secondary lymphoid organs, like the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, activate these lymphocytes and serve as...
Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes01:25

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

Immune surveillance is an integral part of the innate immune system, involving the continuous monitoring of peripheral tissues to detect and respond to pathogens, infected cells, or cancerous cells. This surveillance is conducted primarily by natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytes, which employ distinct but complementary mechanisms to identify and eliminate threats.
Natural Killer Cells: The Fast Responders
NK cells are large granular lymphocytes found in the blood and lymphatic system. These...
Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity01:26

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A Biomimetic Microfluidic Triple-compartment Periodontium-on-chip for Investigation of Inflammatory Responses in Periodontitis.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026
Same author

Induced pluripotent stem cells as platforms for engineering NK cell immunotherapies.

Frontiers in cell and developmental biology·2026
Same author

The inflamed new adaptation of <i>Wuthering Heights</i> misses the book's elemental understanding of body and mind.

BMJ (Clinical research ed.)·2026
Same author

TranscriptFormer: A generative cell atlas across 1.5 billion years of evolution.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

What is diagnosis in the age of artificial intelligence.

Diagnosis (Berlin, Germany)·2026
Same author

Microfluidic innovations driving the future of sperm motility and sex sorting techniques.

Biomaterials advances·2026
Same journal

Tracking Synthetic Adhesins on Bacterial Surfaces with Immunofluorescence Microscopy.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026
Same journal

Post-Selection Methods for Analyzing mRNA Display Selections and Optimization of Hits.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026
Same journal

High-Performance Computing in Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS) Peptide Identification.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026
Same journal

Engineering and Adapting Disulfide-Containing Proteins to Enable Intracellular Functionality.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026
Same journal

AI-Driven Protein Research: From Prediction to Design.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026
Same journal

Methods for the In Vitro Selection of Protein and Peptide Libraries Using mRNA Display.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Characterization of Murine Small Intestinal Lymphocytes
08:14

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Characterization of Murine Small Intestinal Lymphocytes

Published on: May 8, 2016

Introduction to the immune system.

Scott McComb1, Aude Thiriot, Lakshmi Krishnan

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|August 22, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The immune system distinguishes self from non-self, essential for complex life. This overview covers immune cells, factors, innate and adaptive responses, autoimmunity, and cancer immunity.

More Related Videos

Investigating the Immunological Mechanisms Underlying Organ Transplant Rejection
05:10

Investigating the Immunological Mechanisms Underlying Organ Transplant Rejection

Published on: August 20, 2007

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Characterization of Murine Small Intestinal Lymphocytes
08:14

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Characterization of Murine Small Intestinal Lymphocytes

Published on: May 8, 2016

Investigating the Immunological Mechanisms Underlying Organ Transplant Rejection
05:10

Investigating the Immunological Mechanisms Underlying Organ Transplant Rejection

Published on: August 20, 2007

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • The immune system's fundamental role is self/non-self discrimination, crucial for survival in multicellular organisms.
  • Immune mechanisms are ancient, present even in simple organisms like sea sponges.
  • Complex multicellular life necessitates robust systems to protect the internal environment from external threats.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive introduction to the immune system.
  • To explore the cellular and molecular components of immune responses.
  • To describe immunological events in both innate and adaptive immunity, including autoimmunity and cancer immunity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of immune system components, including cell types and soluble factors.
  • Analysis of immune system location during organismal development and maintenance.
  • Description of immunological events during innate and adaptive immune responses to infection.

Main Results:

  • Identification of key cell types and soluble factors orchestrating immune reactions.
  • Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of immune components.
  • Elucidation of the sequence of events in innate and adaptive immunity.

Conclusions:

  • The immune system is a complex, evolutionarily conserved defense network vital for organismal integrity.
  • Understanding immune responses is critical for addressing infections, autoimmunity, and cancer.
  • This work provides a foundational overview of immunological principles and their implications.