001 Introduction to Immune System Learning outcome Discuss the basic concept of immunology Describe the function of immune system Describe the types of immunity Describe the cells and organs of immune system 1. Introduction The integrated body system of organs, tissues, cells and cell products that differentiates self from non-self and neutralizes potentially pathogenic organisms. Must be able to differentiate between material that is a normal component of the body (self) and material that is not native to the body (non-self) A highly specialized receptors present for discriminating between self and non-self body components 2. The immune system The body's immune system defenses normally coexist peacefully with cells that carry distinctive "self" marker molecules But when immune defenders encounter cells or organisms carrying markers that say "foreign" they quickly launch an attack Anything that can trigger this immune response is called an antigen An antigen c...