Human Immunity Disorders Including Immunodeficiency, Autoimmunity, and Hypersensitivity

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The immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. The immune system is a remarkably effective structure that incorporates specificity, inducibility and adaptation. Failures of host defense do occur, however, and fall into three broad categories: immunodeficiencies, autoimmunity, and hypersensitivities. Immunodeficiencies occur when one or more of the components of the immune system are inactive. Overactive immune responses comprise the other end of immune dysfunction, particularly the autoimmune disorders. Hypersensitivity is an immune response that damages the body's own tissues. This book studies three main disorders of human immunity including primary immunodeficiency, immunosuppression, and allergies.

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