Immunology Notes | Microbe Notes

Blood Cells- Definition and Types with Structure and Functions

October 29, 2020 by Anupama Sapkota

Blood Cells Definition Blood cells, also known as hematocytes, hemocytes, or hematopoietic cells, are cells produced mostly in the blood and are synthesized primarily in the red bone marrow. Blood cells make up about 45% of the blood volume, while the rest (55%) is occupied by blood plasma. Blood contains three different types of blood cells, namely, red blood cell …

Stem Cells- Definition, Properties, Types, Uses, Challenges

October 12, 2020October 12, 2020 by Anupama Sapkota

Stem Cells- Sources, Characteristics, Types, Uses

Stem Cells Definition Stem cells are unique cells present in the body that have the potential to differentiate into various cell types or divide indefinitely to produce other stem cells. Stem cells are essential cells that replace damaged cells or cells lost due to diseases. These cells are the earliest cells of the cell lineage in all tissues and are …

Apoptosis- definition, pathways, assay, examples (vs Necrosis)

July 22, 2020 by Anupama Sapkota

What is Apoptosis? Apoptosis is a normal genetically programmed cell death where an aging cell at the end of its life cycle shrinks and its remaining fragments are phagocytosed without any inflammatory reaction. The term apoptosis was first introduced in a paper in 1972 by Kerr, Wyllie, and Currie to describe a morphologically distinct type of cell death. It consists …

14 differences between Agglutination and Precipitation

July 17, 2020July 10, 2020 by Anupama Sapkota

differences between Agglutination and Precipitation (Agglutination vs Precipitation)

Image Source: Biology Online and Lumen Learning. Agglutination Definition Agglutination is the process of clumping of antigens with their respective antibodies. Agglutination reactions are used to particulate test antigens that are usually conjugated to a carrier. The carrier can either be artificial (such as latex or charcoal particles) or biological (such as red blood cells). The agglutination process involving red …

Neutrophils – Definition, structure, count, range, functions

July 3, 2020 by Anupama Sapkota

Neutrophils Definition Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell with multi-lobed nuclei and stainable cytoplasmic granules. These are the most abundant granulocytes, occupying about 40-60% of the total number of white blood cells in the blood. Neutrophils, like all other blood cells, are formed from the stem cells in the bone marrow. After differentiation in the bone marrow, neutrophils …

Opsonization- Definition, Mechanism, Opsonins, Examples

May 23, 2020May 9, 2020 by Anupama Sapkota

Opsonization definition The term opsonization refers to the capacity of antibodies and complement components (as well as other proteins) to coat dangerous antigens that can then be recognized by antibodies or complement receptors on phagocytic cells. Opsonization is the molecular mechanism whereby molecules, microbes, or apoptotic cells are chemically modified to have stronger interactions with cell surface receptors on phagocytes …

Endocytosis- Definition, Process and Types with Examples

April 24, 2020 by Faith Mokobi

Endocytosis- Definition, Process, Types. Examples

Endocytosis Definition Endocytosis is a cellular mechanism by which, a cell internalizes substances including proteins, fluids, electrolytes, microorganisms, and some macromolecules, from its external environment. These substances undergo certain processes of breaking down to smaller elements either for use by the cell or for elimination purposes. White blood cells, of the immune system, are the most common cells that use …

15 differences between MHC Class I and Class II (mhc i vs ii)

July 8, 2020April 5, 2020 by Sagar Aryal

MHC Class I and Class II differences (mhc i vs mhc ii) The major differences are: S.N. Characteristics MHC-I molecule MHC -II molecule 1. Distribution Present on almost all nucleated cells including platelets. Have a restricted tissue distribution and are chiefly found on macrophages, dendritic cells, B cells, and other antigen-presenting cells only. 2. Encoding genes MHC class I proteins …

Immune Booster Foods

March 19, 2020March 14, 2020 by Faith Mokobi

Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, the pandemic has stirred questions about how effective is the body in fighting infections. Naturally, the body fights infections by activating its immune responses which activate cascades of mechanisms in the body to eliminate the pathogen from the system. Immunity definition Immunity is the main process that defends the body from infections and sometimes, the body …

Counter Current Immunoelectrophoresis

January 8, 2020May 18, 2019 by Sagar Aryal

Counter Current Immunoelectrophoresis Immunoelectrophoresis refers to the process in which an antigen mixture is first separated into its component parts by electrophoresis and then tested by immunodiffusion. The electrophoresed antigen mixture in agarose gel allows the separation of different antigens along the gel slide, and then the lateral diffusion of an antibody in the gel occurs resulting in precipitate formation. …