In this article, I briefly describe the metabolism of fuel in fasting and starvation. Hormonal and Metabolic Adaptations Animals can withstand prolonged periods of starvation by adopting a comprehensive program of hormonal and metabolic adaptations. This type of adaptation mainly provides glucose for the brain and fat-derived fuels for most of the other tissues of … Read more >>
In this article, I briefly describe the mechanism of killing of target cells by effector cells. Effector Cells Effector cells are the cells of the adaptive immune system, carrying out an immune function in response to a stimulus. The group of effector cells that have direct cytotoxic activity on foreign cells and altered self-cells are … Read more >>
In this article, I briefly describe the maintenance of blood glucose levels by the hormones insulin and glucagon. Hormones Our endocrine system employs internal chemical messengers as hormones. These are produced by certain specific cell types. Hormones regulate the function of another tissue by binding to a distant cellular receptor. For binding with a receptor, … Read more >>
In this article, I briefly describe organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Autoimmunity The term “autoimmunity” defines the failure of a person’s immune system to recognize its cells as self. Thus, the immune system mounts an immune response against its healthy cells. Disease resulting from this type of immune response is known as autoimmune disease. Self-components are recognized … Read more >>
In this post, I briefly describe the MHC genes, haplotypes, and the diversity between different MHC classes. The MHC Genes Vertebrate DNA is marked with a large locus known as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). It contains closely linked polymorphic genes that code for cell surface proteins. These cell surface proteins are known as the … Read more >>
In this article, I briefly describe the breakthrough treatments of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) based on the protease mechanism. The disease caused by HIV and the symptoms The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks our immune system. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a chronic immune system disease, is caused by HIV. It lowers the immunity of … Read more >>
In this article, I describe types of systemic autoimmune diseases and their symptoms. What are autoimmune diseases? Autoimmune diseases happen when a person’s immune system attacks its healthy cells. Immune-stimulatory lymphocytes or antibodies recognize self-components causing cell lysis, which results in an inflammatory response in the affected organ. Autoimmune diseases may be systemic or organ-specific. … Read more >>
In this article, I briefly describe the generation of memory cells and the formation of long-lived plasma cells from B cells. Differentiation of B cells to produce memory cells B cells undergo the process of differentiation after getting activated by T cells. They differentiate to produce plasma cells, memory cells, or activated germinal center B … Read more >>
In this article, I briefly describe the response of T cells to the protozoal parasites Toxoplasma and Herpes virus. Toxoplasmosis The immune response to pathogens can be visualized in vivo by powerful imaging techniques. Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by protozoal parasite Toxoplasma gondii, a pathogen transmitted from cats to humans through feces. It often … Read more >>
In this article, I briefly explain the response of effector and memory lymphocytes to contraction of our immune response. Factors Regulating the Contraction of Lymphocytes In an immune response, lymphocytes can expand and increase in number up to a thousand fold. After the period of expansion, their number suddenly decreased during the contraction period. At … Read more >>