Immunology
What is immunology?
Immunology is the study of the immune system and all its aspects, such as its structure, function, disorders, and immunization.
The immune system protects the body from infections using various defense methods, including innate and adaptive immunity. It is a highly regulated system, and a slight disturbance can cause significant effects.
In addition to causing certain diseases such as allergies, autoimmunity, and cancer, it is now known that immune responses contribute to other health conditions not viewed as traditionally immunologic, such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions. With these connections, immunology can play a role in all these health conditions.
Why is immunology important to healthcare?
Immunology is an important field because the immune system is highly complex and essential to the body, and if it is not working correctly, illnesses, disorders, and diseases can result.
Immunology research has provided guidance on how to treat significant health issues in addition to the creation of vaccines to protect against infection.
Immunology has also resulted in treatments that alter how the immune system works to treat or manage conditions, helping bring balance back to the immune system and how it functions.