System, immune
improper development of the thymus gland means that T cell production is diminished.
Other immune disorders result from either an excessive immune response or an ‘autoimmune attack’. Asthma, familial Mediterranean fever and Crohn disease (inflammatory bowel disease) all result from an over-reaction of the immune system, while autoimmune polyglandular syndrome and some facets of diabetes are due to the immune system attacking ‘self’ cells and molecules.
A key part of the immune system’s role is to differentiate between invaders and the body’s own cells – when it fails to make this distinction, a reaction against ‘self’ cells and molecules causes autoimmune disease.
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The system that permits locomotion, movement from one place to another. The key components of this system are the bones that are the framework of the skeleton, the joints that hold the bones together and make movement possible, and the muscles that contract and relax and make for movement. Locomotive is derived from the Latin […]
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A part of nervous system that slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and gland activity, and relaxes sphincter muscles. The parasympathetic nervous system together with the sympathetic nervous system (that accelerates the heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and raises blood pressure) constitute the autonomic nervous system.
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That portion of the nervous system that is outside the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is one of the two major divisions of the nervous system. The other is the central nervous system (CNS) which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. The nerves in the peripheral nervous system […]
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- Systemic
Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the whole body. Systemic chemotherapy employs drugs that travel through the bloodstream and reach and affect cells all over the body.