immune system

immune system
immune system n the bodily system that protects the body from foreign substances, cells, and tissues by producing the immune response and that includes esp. the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, special deposits of lymphoid tissue (as in the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow), lymphocytes including the B cells and T cells, and antibodies

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the organs responsible for immunity. The primary lymphoid tissue organs are the thymus and the bone marrow; the secondary lymphoid organs are the lymph nodes and lymphoid aggregates (spleen, tonsils, gastrointestinal lymph tissue, and Peyer's patches).

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a complex system of cellular and molecular components having the primary function of distinguishing self from nonself and defense against foreign organisms or substances. The primary cellular components are lymphocytes and macrophages, and the primary molecular components are antibodies and lymphokines; granulocytes and the complement system are also involved in immune responses but are not always considered part of the immune system per se.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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