What is "immunology"

immunology \immunology\ n. The science which studies the immune system, the processes of immunity, and the nature of the immune response, and techniques of analysis which use the immune response.

by 1906, a hybrid from comb. form of immune + -ology. Related: Immunological; immunologist.

n. (context medicine English) The branch of medicine that studies the body's immune system.

n. the branch of medical science that studies the body's immune system

Immunology is a branch of biomedical science that covers the study of immune systems in all organisms. It charts, measures, and contextualizes the: physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders (such as autoimmune diseases, hypersensitivities, immune deficiency, and transplant rejection); the physical, chemical and physiological characteristics of the components of the immune system in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. Immunology has applications in numerous disciplines of medicine, particularly in the fields of organ transplantation, oncology, virology, bacteriology, parasitology, psychiatry, and dermatology.

Prior to the designation of immunity from the etymological root immunis, which is Latin for "exempt"; early physicians characterized organs that would later be proven as essential components of the immune system. The important lymphoid organs of the immune system are the thymus and bone marrow, and chief lymphatic tissues such as spleen, tonsils, lymph vessels, lymph nodes, adenoids, and liver. When health conditions worsen to emergency status, portions of immune system organs including the thymus, spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes and other lymphatic tissues can be surgically excised for examination while patients are still alive.

Many components of the immune system are typically cellular in nature and not associated with any specific organ; but rather are embedded or circulating in various tissues located throughout the body.

Immunology is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering all aspects of immunology. The editor-in-chief is Daniel Altmann ( Imperial College London). It was established in 1958 and is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the British Society for Immunology.