Adaptive Immunity: Also called acquired or specific immunity, adaptive immunity is the immune system's response by antigen-specific lymphocytes to an antigen.
Antibody: A protein found in the serum that binds with an antigen and that is formed in response to an infection or immunization.
Antigen: A foreign molecule that generates antibody formation.
Autoimmune response: An autoimmune response is when the adaptive immune system attacks your own body's tissue and causes autoimmune disease.
BALT: The bronchial-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) is composed of lymph cells in the respiratory tract and is important in immune responses to respiratory tract infections.
B cells: B cells are one of the two major types of lymphocytes, the other being T cells. B cells develop in the bone marrow and produce antibodies.
Bio-oxidative therapies: The term for medical therapies that use oxygen, such as ozonization, to treat disease.
Capsid: The term for the protective coat of a virus.
CD (Cluster Designation) markers: Molecules on the surface of white blood cells and platelets that are used to assess the status of different types of immune cells.
CD3 cells: The Cluster Designation for the complex of different T cells.
CD4 cells: The designation for helper T lymphocyte subsets.
CD8 cells: The designation for cytotoxic T lymphocytes whose major function is to kill cells infected by pathogens.
Chemokines: These are small cytokines involved in the movement and activation of immune cells and have an important role in inflammatory responses.
Complement: The complement system is composed of plasma proteins that work together to attack pathogens outside the cells.
Complementary medicine: A term used to describe the use of alternative therapies to complement conventional medical practices.
Cytokines: A generic term for the proteins produced by immune cells that influence the behavior and activity of other cells.
Endemic: A pattern of disease that commonly occurs in a particular geographical region.
Energy medicine: The general term used to describe alternative therapies, like acupuncture, that work with the body's subtle energy systems.
Epidemic: A pattern of disease involving rapid spread, large numbers of victims, and that occurs over a wide geographical area.
Evolutionary medicine: The term for a philosophy of medical practice that allows for the wisdom of nature and the body, and that not only treats symptoms, as does conventional medicine, but looks for the underlying cause of the illness.
Free radicals: Molecules with an unpaired electron causing chemical instability. This results in the robbing of an electron from another molecule, which sets into motion a chain reaction of unstable molecules leading to large numbers of free radicals, each of which causes cellular and tissue damage.
Functional medicine: A type of medicine that uses natural therapies to normalize physiological function in the body in order to eliminate disease.
GALT: Gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) are lymphatic tissues in the gastrointestinal tract that protect the body against foreign antigens in food, and is also involved in normalization of the intestinal micro flora.
Genome: One set of chromosomes, found in the nucleus of a cell, that contains all the genetic information for the cell or organism.
Homeopathy: A system of medicine that uses minute dosages of a substance to treat disease and restore homeostasis.
Homeostasis: A general term used to describe the state of balance in the body or between different physiological systems.
Homotoxicology: A system of medicine that utilizes specialized homeopathic preparations to treat disease by removing toxins from the body's tissues.
Host: The term for the organism that is infected by a pathogen.
Immunoglobulins (Ig): The term used for all antibody molecules belonging to a family of plasma proteins.
Inflammation: This general term is used to describe the characteristic events following an inflammatory response, including accumulation of fluid, plasma proteins, and white blood cells in and around damaged tissue. Warmth and pain are also associated with inflammation.
Innate immunity: Refers to the innate immune response and is the first line of defense against infection.
Integrative medicine: A way of medical practice that equally includes conventional and alternative therapies.
Interferon (INF): A group of cytokines, involved in communication between different immune cells, which are particularly important for protection against viruses.
Interleukin (IL): A group of cytokines produced by white blood cells which are involved in immune responses between cells.
Leukocytes: The term for white blood cells, which are the collective cells of the immune system.
MALT: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) are lymphatic tissues associated with immunity involving the mucosal lining of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.
Natural killer (NK) cells: These lymphocytes recognize and kill cells infected by viruses and also destroy some tumor cells.
Naturopathy: A system of medicine that utilizes a wide variety of natural therapies and medications to treat disease and restore health.
Organ reserve: An important concept in natural therapies, organ reserve is the term used to describe the normal tissue health and immune status of an organ. Age, disease, infection, abusive lifestyle all deplete organ reserve. Natural medicines and a healthy lifestyle replenish organ reserve.
Oxidation: The chemical reaction occurs when oxygen is combined with another substance.
Oxidative damage: This is the result of oxidation when free radicals produce destructive cellular changes.
Oxygenation: The process by which oxygen enters the blood and cells.
Pandemic: A worldwide epidemic.
Pathogen: The term used to describe a disease-causing microorganism.
Phagocytosis: The process where immune cells engulf and destroy infected cells.
Prion: Very small infectious particles composed of protein and believed to be the cause of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.
Probiotics: Substances that promote the growth of normal intestinal flora, like Lactobacillus acidophilus, and by doing so, improve health.
Prostaglandins: Molecules derived from arachidonic acid and that are involved in inflammation.
Reservoirs: Places within body tissues that can indefinitely harbor latent viruses.
Retrovirus: A family of viruses, including HIV, that is capable of using RNA (ribonucleic acid) as genetic information and transcribing it into DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).
Synergy: The term used to describe cooperative interaction between cells, and also to explain interactions between more than one medication where the total effect is greater than the healing response expected of their sums.
Systemic infection: An infection that involves more than one system of the body and may cause symptoms that affect the whole body.
T cells: Also called T lymphocytes, T cells are immune cells that develop in the thymus and are designated among the CD3 complex.
Thymus: The thymus gland is situated in the center of the chest behind the breast bone and is involved in the development of T cells.
Traditional Chinese medicine: The system of medicine developed in China that includes acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and a variety of other therapies and techniques to treat disease by restoring the balance of yin and yang.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF): A term used to define a family of cytokines that are produced by macrophages and are involved in attracting immune cells to sites of infection and then activating those cells to destroy microbes. When released in large amounts, TNF can cause inflammation.
Vaccine: A medically prepared microbial antigen used to induce protective immunity against infection.
Variolation: The method employed in previous centuries of using cowpox to protect against smallpox infection.
Vector: Something that transports an infectious microorganism from one host to another. Common vectors include mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks.
Viron: A term used to describe a single mature infectious virus.
Virulence: The degree of illness an infectious organism is capable of producing in the host.
Virus: An intracellular parasitic organism involved in a wide range of diseases.