Immunology

1) ELISA - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay i. What is the purpose of an ELISA? - The purpose of ELISA is to immobilize certain antigens and incubated them with antiserum so that the concentration of the antibody in the antiserum is quantified using an enzyme-linked anti-immunoglobulin antibody also known as an ELISA. ii. Explain in your own words the following types of ELISAs: direct, indirect, capture or “sandwich”? - Direct ELISA: The direct ELISA is a more simple method, in…

The immune system The human body without some sort of protection system would not be able to endure the many pathogens than we come in contact with on a daily basis. That is why we have an immune system. What is the immune system and what are its functions? According to stanfordchildrens.org, the immune system is a complex network of cells and organs that protect the body from infections that may enter through what we come in contact with. This may not seem like a big role, but it is…

The vaccine given to the 45 years man at the emergency room is to protect him. The laceration is a port of entry to germs. The patient will receive the tetanus toxoid to protect him. Tetanus toxin is a powerful neurotoxin that can affect severely the patient because he has not received the vaccine and as a result his immune system may be compromised. In his case, his immune system needs to make antibodies, we called it active immunity. Active immunity is exposure to antigen. It is an adaptive…

The immune system is how the body defends itself against foreign substances and infections. Some individuals experience sensitivities, called allergies, within their immune systems that are caused by ordinarily harmless materials like foods, medicines, or environmental factors (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease). Food-related allergies continue to grow as a public health issue, as 6% of Canadians under the age of 18 are affected, with peanuts as the leading cause. This lead…

Allergies is one of the most common conditions seen in the veterinary world and can be caused by many different allergens, including food, environment, and medications. Food allergies make up 10% of all allergies in dogs and have a significant effect on cats and dogs all over the country and can cause a large array of problems (Eckstein, 2017). Often owners are not even aware that their animal has allergies due to the fact that the symptoms are typically very different from those of human…

Vaccination do not only help the individual, but also help their entire community to prevent diseases from spreading. With the overall community being vaccinated, they are able to achieve herd immunity. Herd immunity is when “a critical portion of a community is immunized against a contagious disease” and with this the other part of the community that is not immunized will be protected (Tolsma). To achieve herd immunity, “the coverage target is greater than or equal to ninety-five percent…

A Shot in the Dark: The Link Between Childhood Vaccinations and Autism Did you receive vaccinations throughout your childhood? If you answer was yes, then your parents or guardians took an intelligent risk to prolong your life. Vaccinations pose a risk just like anything else, but the benefits overshadow the consequences. The linkage between childhood vaccinations and autism is a hot topic today, but through various studies and research the linkage has been proven to not exist. If research has…

Vaccine is an antigenic substance prepared from weakened or killed forms of microbe. It is used to provide active acquired immunity against one or several diseases. It has been proposed that vaccine is safe and is one of the greatest health development in the 20th century. Due to its benefits, many countries have encouraged citizens to get vaccination for themselves as well as their children, some countries even made vaccination mandatory. In order to increase global coverage rates, World Health…

INTRODUCTION Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an auto-immune system. Auto mean self. Autoimmune means that our immune system cannot differentiate between foreign invaders and our own healthy body tissues and decide that our healthy cells are foreign substance. Thus, creating autoantibodies which are protein that attack and eventually destroy the healthy tissues. This means that our body ability to prevent and fight against infection are reducing. SLE is more than any connective tissues…

On basic note Presence Innate immunity is something already present in the body. Adaptive immunity is created in response to exposure to a foreign substance. Specificity Non-Specific Specific Response Fights any foreign invader and rapid Fight only specific infection and slow(1-2 wks) Potency Limited and Lower potency High potency Time span Once activated against a specific type of antigen, the immunity remains throughout the life. The span of developed immunity can be lifelong or short.…