Abstract
The central role played by the immune system is recognition; it recognizes self and discriminates against non-self elements. Non-self elements represent anything that is foreign and different from an individual’s own constituents. When non-self elements such as foreign cells, exogenous microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites) and non-living substances (e.g. chemicals) invade the body, the immune system mounts a response in defence of the integrity of the body. The immune response can involve both humoral and cellular components.
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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Wong, S., Fournier, M., Coderre, D., Banska, W., Krzystyniak, K. (1992). Environmental immunotoxicology. In: Animal Biomarkers as Pollution Indicators. Chapman & Hall Ecotoxicology Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2346-4_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2346-4_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5036-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-2346-4
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