Jens Rolff and Stuart Reynolds (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199551354
- eISBN:
- 9780191720505
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199551354.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
Under continual attack from both microbial pathogens and multicellular parasites, insects must cope with immune challenges every day of their lives. However, this has not prevented them from becoming ...
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Under continual attack from both microbial pathogens and multicellular parasites, insects must cope with immune challenges every day of their lives. However, this has not prevented them from becoming the most successful group of animals on the planet. Insects possess highly-developed innate immune systems which have been fine-tuned by an arms race with pathogens spanning hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary history. Recent discoveries are revealing both an unexpected degree of specificity and an indication of immunological memory — the functional hallmark of vertebrate immunity. The study of insect immune systems has accelerated rapidly in recent years and is now becoming an important interdisciplinary field. Furthermore, insects are a phenomenally rich and diverse source of antimicrobial chemicals. Some of these are already being seriously considered as potential therapeutic agents to control microbes such as MRSA. This book provides a coherent synthesis and is structured around two broadly themed sections: mechanisms of immunity and evolutionary ecology. This text adopts an interdisciplinary and concept-driven approach, integrating insights from immunology, molecular biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, parasitology, and epidemiology.Less
Under continual attack from both microbial pathogens and multicellular parasites, insects must cope with immune challenges every day of their lives. However, this has not prevented them from becoming the most successful group of animals on the planet. Insects possess highly-developed innate immune systems which have been fine-tuned by an arms race with pathogens spanning hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary history. Recent discoveries are revealing both an unexpected degree of specificity and an indication of immunological memory — the functional hallmark of vertebrate immunity. The study of insect immune systems has accelerated rapidly in recent years and is now becoming an important interdisciplinary field. Furthermore, insects are a phenomenally rich and diverse source of antimicrobial chemicals. Some of these are already being seriously considered as potential therapeutic agents to control microbes such as MRSA. This book provides a coherent synthesis and is structured around two broadly themed sections: mechanisms of immunity and evolutionary ecology. This text adopts an interdisciplinary and concept-driven approach, integrating insights from immunology, molecular biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, parasitology, and epidemiology.
Thomas Pradeu
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199775286
- eISBN:
- 9780199932818
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199775286.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics/Epistemology
What counts as an individual in the living world? What does it mean for a living thing to remain the same through time while constantly changing? Immunology, one of the most dynamic fields of today’s ...
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What counts as an individual in the living world? What does it mean for a living thing to remain the same through time while constantly changing? Immunology, one of the most dynamic fields of today’s biology, considers these questions its province, and answers them through its crucial concepts of “self” and “nonself.” Though immunology has been dominated since the 1940s by the self-nonself theory, this book argues that this theory is inadequate, because immune responses to self constituents and immune tolerance of foreign entities are the rule, not the exception. An alternative theory, the continuity theory, is advanced instead. This theory offers a new way to answer the question of what triggers an immune response. It also echoes the recent realization that all organisms, and not higher vertebrates only, have an immune system. This book’s main thesis is that the self-nonself theory should be abandoned, but that immunology still proves to be decisive for delineating the boundaries of the organism. Articulating an evolutionary and an immunological perspective, it offers an original conception of the organism. Tolerance of the fetus by the mother and of countless bacteria on the body’s surfaces proves that every organism is heterogeneous, that is, made of entities of different origins. In other words, every organism appears as a chimera, a mixed living thing the cohesiveness of which is ensured by the constant action of its immune system. The Limits of the Self will be essential reading for anyone interested in the definition of biological individuality and the understanding of the immune system.Less
What counts as an individual in the living world? What does it mean for a living thing to remain the same through time while constantly changing? Immunology, one of the most dynamic fields of today’s biology, considers these questions its province, and answers them through its crucial concepts of “self” and “nonself.” Though immunology has been dominated since the 1940s by the self-nonself theory, this book argues that this theory is inadequate, because immune responses to self constituents and immune tolerance of foreign entities are the rule, not the exception. An alternative theory, the continuity theory, is advanced instead. This theory offers a new way to answer the question of what triggers an immune response. It also echoes the recent realization that all organisms, and not higher vertebrates only, have an immune system. This book’s main thesis is that the self-nonself theory should be abandoned, but that immunology still proves to be decisive for delineating the boundaries of the organism. Articulating an evolutionary and an immunological perspective, it offers an original conception of the organism. Tolerance of the fetus by the mother and of countless bacteria on the body’s surfaces proves that every organism is heterogeneous, that is, made of entities of different origins. In other words, every organism appears as a chimera, a mixed living thing the cohesiveness of which is ensured by the constant action of its immune system. The Limits of the Self will be essential reading for anyone interested in the definition of biological individuality and the understanding of the immune system.
Paul F. Lurquin and Linda Stone
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195315387
- eISBN:
- 9780199785674
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195315387.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter rebuts irreducible complexity and creationism by explaining the reliability of dating techniques as well as sophisticated laboratory techniques that allow researchers to synthesize ...
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This chapter rebuts irreducible complexity and creationism by explaining the reliability of dating techniques as well as sophisticated laboratory techniques that allow researchers to synthesize extinct genes (genetic archaeology, gene resurrection) and study their homology to other genes. These techniques clearly demonstrate that the irreducible complexity of the eye, the immune system, and the bacterial flagellum are subjective impressions. On the contrary, phylogenetic trees based on gene homology show a deep evolutionary link between simple life-forms and complex ones. Finally, the chapter gives several examples of “poor design” that cast doubt on the principle of Intelligent Design.Less
This chapter rebuts irreducible complexity and creationism by explaining the reliability of dating techniques as well as sophisticated laboratory techniques that allow researchers to synthesize extinct genes (genetic archaeology, gene resurrection) and study their homology to other genes. These techniques clearly demonstrate that the irreducible complexity of the eye, the immune system, and the bacterial flagellum are subjective impressions. On the contrary, phylogenetic trees based on gene homology show a deep evolutionary link between simple life-forms and complex ones. Finally, the chapter gives several examples of “poor design” that cast doubt on the principle of Intelligent Design.
Jacob Koella
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199551354
- eISBN:
- 9780191720505
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199551354.003.0010
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics, Disease Ecology / Epidemiology
This chapter discusses the evolution of immune function. It emphasizes two points. First, the immune system is complex, with many responses that may act together or inhibit each other to determine ...
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This chapter discusses the evolution of immune function. It emphasizes two points. First, the immune system is complex, with many responses that may act together or inhibit each other to determine the outcome of an infection. Using an immune response as an indicator of the host's resistance (or, more generally, its quality) is therefore problematic, as increased investment in a given immune response may well indicate increased susceptibility to a parasite. Second, resistance is a product of the interaction between a host and a parasite. Thus, we cannot understand the evolution of immune function without considering the co-evolution of the host's and the parasite's contributions to resistance. Indeed, as found in a more general context, mathematical models of the evolution of the host that do not consider the co-evolutionary response by the parasite can be misleading as their predictions can differ qualitatively from the co-evolutionary dynamics and equilibrium.Less
This chapter discusses the evolution of immune function. It emphasizes two points. First, the immune system is complex, with many responses that may act together or inhibit each other to determine the outcome of an infection. Using an immune response as an indicator of the host's resistance (or, more generally, its quality) is therefore problematic, as increased investment in a given immune response may well indicate increased susceptibility to a parasite. Second, resistance is a product of the interaction between a host and a parasite. Thus, we cannot understand the evolution of immune function without considering the co-evolution of the host's and the parasite's contributions to resistance. Indeed, as found in a more general context, mathematical models of the evolution of the host that do not consider the co-evolutionary response by the parasite can be misleading as their predictions can differ qualitatively from the co-evolutionary dynamics and equilibrium.
Nicholas P. Money
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195172270
- eISBN:
- 9780199790258
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195172270.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Microbiology
We live on a very moldy planet. Microscopic fungi blossom on every scrap of plant debris and are part of every crumb of soil. Molds can also grow in great profusion in our homes and workplaces, ...
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We live on a very moldy planet. Microscopic fungi blossom on every scrap of plant debris and are part of every crumb of soil. Molds can also grow in great profusion in our homes and workplaces, colonizing damp walls and filling the air with their spores. Recently, these indoor molds have acquired a very bad reputation. In a textbook illustration of a media frenzy, black and toxic molds have been spotlighted as an insidious threat to the modern way of life. Stories of homes overrun by fungi have heightened the public’s awareness of indoor molds and the mere sight of a discolored shower curtain can be enough to provoke panic. Among the thousands of mold species, one fungus, Stachybotrys chartarum, has been singled out as a particular menace. This puzzling microbe was first identified on damp wallpaper in Prague in the 19th century, but is now known throughout North America. Stachybotrys produces an alarming range of toxins, but claims that its spores can cause lung damage, disrupt the immune system, and even impair memory have limited support from scientific studies. This book explores the case against Stachybotrys and other indoor molds, offering an objective assessment of the public and scientific perception of these intriguing microbes, their effects upon human health, and their significance in the courtroom.Less
We live on a very moldy planet. Microscopic fungi blossom on every scrap of plant debris and are part of every crumb of soil. Molds can also grow in great profusion in our homes and workplaces, colonizing damp walls and filling the air with their spores. Recently, these indoor molds have acquired a very bad reputation. In a textbook illustration of a media frenzy, black and toxic molds have been spotlighted as an insidious threat to the modern way of life. Stories of homes overrun by fungi have heightened the public’s awareness of indoor molds and the mere sight of a discolored shower curtain can be enough to provoke panic. Among the thousands of mold species, one fungus, Stachybotrys chartarum, has been singled out as a particular menace. This puzzling microbe was first identified on damp wallpaper in Prague in the 19th century, but is now known throughout North America. Stachybotrys produces an alarming range of toxins, but claims that its spores can cause lung damage, disrupt the immune system, and even impair memory have limited support from scientific studies. This book explores the case against Stachybotrys and other indoor molds, offering an objective assessment of the public and scientific perception of these intriguing microbes, their effects upon human health, and their significance in the courtroom.
Harold G. Koenig and Harvey J. Cohen
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195143607
- eISBN:
- 9780199893256
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195143607.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Neuropsychology
This book presents new medical research establishing a connection between religion and health and examines the implications for Eastern and Western religious traditions and for society and culture. ...
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This book presents new medical research establishing a connection between religion and health and examines the implications for Eastern and Western religious traditions and for society and culture. It examines a series of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) topics that relate to religious faith and behavior. PNI studies the relationships between mental states and the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Among the issues explored are how mental states in general and belief states in particular affect physical health. The book argues that religious involvement and belief can affect certain neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms, and that these mechanisms, in turn, positively affect a wide variety of health outcomes such as susceptibility to cancer and recovery following surgery.Less
This book presents new medical research establishing a connection between religion and health and examines the implications for Eastern and Western religious traditions and for society and culture. It examines a series of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) topics that relate to religious faith and behavior. PNI studies the relationships between mental states and the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Among the issues explored are how mental states in general and belief states in particular affect physical health. The book argues that religious involvement and belief can affect certain neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms, and that these mechanisms, in turn, positively affect a wide variety of health outcomes such as susceptibility to cancer and recovery following surgery.
Thomas Pradeu and Elizabeth Vitanza
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199775286
- eISBN:
- 9780199932818
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199775286.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This chapter investigates the different definitions of immunology, in particular the dominant definition stating that immunology is the discipline that studies the defense of organisms against ...
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This chapter investigates the different definitions of immunology, in particular the dominant definition stating that immunology is the discipline that studies the defense of organisms against pathogens. The different steps towards the autonomy of immunology as a discipline are examined, from immunization to the elaboration of a theory of immunity, and eventually the institutionalization of the domain. I propose my own definition of immunology as the discipline that studies specific interactions between immune receptors and antigenic patterns, triggering mechanisms that destroy or prevent the destruction of target antigens. I show that, contrary to what has long been believed, every organism has an immune system. I describe several examples of immune systems (in mammals, insects, plants, and even unicellulars). I close this chapter by an analysis of the concepts generally considered as central in immunology, those of “self” and “nonself.”Less
This chapter investigates the different definitions of immunology, in particular the dominant definition stating that immunology is the discipline that studies the defense of organisms against pathogens. The different steps towards the autonomy of immunology as a discipline are examined, from immunization to the elaboration of a theory of immunity, and eventually the institutionalization of the domain. I propose my own definition of immunology as the discipline that studies specific interactions between immune receptors and antigenic patterns, triggering mechanisms that destroy or prevent the destruction of target antigens. I show that, contrary to what has long been believed, every organism has an immune system. I describe several examples of immune systems (in mammals, insects, plants, and even unicellulars). I close this chapter by an analysis of the concepts generally considered as central in immunology, those of “self” and “nonself.”
Kokona Chatzantoni and Athanasia Mouzaki
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195326697
- eISBN:
- 9780199864874
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195326697.003.0014
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Molecular and Cellular Systems
The immune system is characterized by a complex network of cells and organs specialized to extinguish foreign invaders or malfunctioning cells of the organism. Although innate immunity, B-cell ...
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The immune system is characterized by a complex network of cells and organs specialized to extinguish foreign invaders or malfunctioning cells of the organism. Although innate immunity, B-cell function via antibody responses, and cytotoxic T lymphocytes are very important for protection of the body, T cells play a central role in the immune system and are more important for its regulation. This chapter discusses T-cell regulation within the immune system, along with central and peripheral tolerance mechanisms of positive and negative selection, anergy, and deletion. Immunomodulation in the nervous system as well as vascular system during inflammation and autoimmunity is described using the paradigms of two complex pathological conditions: multiple sclerosis and atherosclerosis. The role of T cells and T regulatory cells in breaking or maintaining tolerance is examined, together with the proposed ways of their therapeutic manipulations to ameliorate disease progression.Less
The immune system is characterized by a complex network of cells and organs specialized to extinguish foreign invaders or malfunctioning cells of the organism. Although innate immunity, B-cell function via antibody responses, and cytotoxic T lymphocytes are very important for protection of the body, T cells play a central role in the immune system and are more important for its regulation. This chapter discusses T-cell regulation within the immune system, along with central and peripheral tolerance mechanisms of positive and negative selection, anergy, and deletion. Immunomodulation in the nervous system as well as vascular system during inflammation and autoimmunity is described using the paradigms of two complex pathological conditions: multiple sclerosis and atherosclerosis. The role of T cells and T regulatory cells in breaking or maintaining tolerance is examined, together with the proposed ways of their therapeutic manipulations to ameliorate disease progression.
Jaap Goudsmit
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195130348
- eISBN:
- 9780199790166
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195130348.003.0009
- Subject:
- Biology, Microbiology
This chapter discusses HIV. Approximately 90% of people infected with HIV die from AIDS within 15 years if no drugs are provided. HIV is a unique virus in that, by itself, it does not cause the ...
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This chapter discusses HIV. Approximately 90% of people infected with HIV die from AIDS within 15 years if no drugs are provided. HIV is a unique virus in that, by itself, it does not cause the disease symptoms that eventually occur with HIV infection. Instead, it causes a complete breakdown of the immune system.Less
This chapter discusses HIV. Approximately 90% of people infected with HIV die from AIDS within 15 years if no drugs are provided. HIV is a unique virus in that, by itself, it does not cause the disease symptoms that eventually occur with HIV infection. Instead, it causes a complete breakdown of the immune system.
BRUCE S. RABIN
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195143607
- eISBN:
- 9780199893256
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195143607.003.0004
- Subject:
- Psychology, Neuropsychology
This chapter explains how psychological stress affects the brain, neuroendocrine system and ultimately, the cardiovascular and immune systems. A theoretical model is presented that details the ...
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This chapter explains how psychological stress affects the brain, neuroendocrine system and ultimately, the cardiovascular and immune systems. A theoretical model is presented that details the effects of stress on the locus ceruleus and sympathetic nervous system, which connect the brain to primary and secondary lymph organs. The chapter discusses how stress affects the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, the adrenal gland, and the hormones produced by these glands which ultimately affect cellular immunity, antibody production and cytokine activity. It also examines how religious beliefs and activity might influence this system by improving coping and increasing support or, alternatively, may simply be a marker for some other factor (genetic or acquired) that is associated with lower stress and greater sociability.Less
This chapter explains how psychological stress affects the brain, neuroendocrine system and ultimately, the cardiovascular and immune systems. A theoretical model is presented that details the effects of stress on the locus ceruleus and sympathetic nervous system, which connect the brain to primary and secondary lymph organs. The chapter discusses how stress affects the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, the adrenal gland, and the hormones produced by these glands which ultimately affect cellular immunity, antibody production and cytokine activity. It also examines how religious beliefs and activity might influence this system by improving coping and increasing support or, alternatively, may simply be a marker for some other factor (genetic or acquired) that is associated with lower stress and greater sociability.
