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Immune Response Damage to the Host definitions

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  • Immune Response
    A coordinated defense mechanism that can sometimes cause unintended harm to healthy tissues while targeting pathogens.
  • Inflammation
    A protective process that recruits immune cells but may result in tissue injury and impaired organ function.
  • Phagocytic Cells
    Specialized cells, such as macrophages, that engulf microbes but may release substances damaging to nearby tissues.
  • Macrophages
    Large immune cells that destroy pathogens and can inadvertently harm host tissues by releasing enzymes and toxins.
  • Neutrophils
    Short-lived immune cells recruited during inflammation that can contribute to collateral tissue damage.
  • Bacterial Enzymes
    Substances released during immune activity that can degrade both pathogens and host tissue structures.
  • Toxins
    Harmful molecules, including exotoxins and endotoxins, released during immune responses that may injure host cells.
  • Exotoxins
    Potent proteins released by bacteria during immune reactions, capable of damaging host tissues.
  • Endotoxins
    Components of bacterial cell walls released during immune responses, potentially causing inflammation and tissue injury.
  • Oxygen-Carbon Dioxide Gas Exchange
    A vital lung function that can be disrupted by inflammation-induced fluid buildup, impairing breathing.
  • Antibody-Antigen Complexes
    Aggregates formed during adaptive immunity that may accumulate in organs, leading to tissue damage.
  • Glomeruli
    Capillary networks in kidneys susceptible to injury from immune complex deposition, risking organ failure.
  • Kidney Failure
    A condition where kidney function is lost, often due to immune complex buildup damaging filtration structures.
  • Autoimmune Diseases
    Disorders where antibodies mistakenly target healthy self cells, causing tissue destruction.
  • Adaptive Immunity
    A specific immune defense that can sometimes misdirect its attack, resulting in host tissue injury.