Synopses & Reviews
Our immune system is a complex network of cells continually working against a barrage of attack from our environment to, quite literally, save our lives. But how do our bodies protect us from the bacteria, and other potentially life-threatening organisms, that surround us every day? Infection and Immunity 2E explains how, in the lucid, accessible style for which John Playfair is well known. Together with Greg Bancroft, an expert in infectious diseases, Playfair describes the main causes of infection that our bodies have to battle against - from bacteria to viruses - and explains that intricate and fascinating way that our bodies respond to infection - from detection of these potentially dangerous organisms, to their ultimate elimination. With examples of infectious diseases from across the world, and with vastly expanded coverage compared to the first edition, Infection and Immunity 2E will be perfect for biomedical science, bioscience and microbiology students who need to understand what causes infection, and how our immune systems respond.
Synopsis
Infectious disease is something that effects and surely interest everyone, but for a clear picture of what actually happens during an infection, it is usually necessary to consult one or more large textbooks, since the subject falls across the conventional disciplines of microbiology, immunology, pathology, pharmacology, epidemiology, and medicine. This book summarizes the essentials in a way that can be understood by any student or potential student of science or medicine and presupposes no previous knowledge of either microbiology or immunology. The style has been kept as close as possible to actual lectures and tutorials, including an element of self-testing and a guide to the books that can be, if desired, used for delving deeper into the subject.
Synopsis
Infectious disease is something that effects and surely interest everyone, but for a clear picture of what actually happens during an infection, it is usually necessary to consult one or more large textbooks, since the subject falls across the conventional disciplines of microbiology, immunology, pathology, pharmacology, epidemiology, and medicine. This book summarizes the essentials in a way that can be understood by any student or potential student of science or medicine and presupposes no previous knowledge of either microbiology or immunology. The style has been kept as close as possible to actual lectures and tutorials, including an element of self-testing and a guide to the books that can be, if desired, used for delving deeper into the subject.
About the Author
Professor John Playfair is a widely known and well-respected academic and teacher in the field of immunology, having established the immunology course at University College London Medical Hospital where he was chairman of the Department of Immunology. His talent as an educator is reflected in the numerous other textbook projects with which he has been involved including Mim's Medical Microbiology 2e (Mosby), and Immunology at a glance 7e (Blackwell).
Dr. Greg Bancroft is Reader in Immunology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where he established, and still teaches on, the MSc Immunology of Infectious Diseases course, an area of expertise that has been invaluable in the preparation of this second edition.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1. Parasitism, infection & immunity
The Pathogens
2. Viruses
3. Bacteria
4. Fungi
5. Protozoa
6. Worms
7. Prions
8. Disease due to the presence of the pathogen
9. External defences and how parasites escape them
Tutorial 1
10. The immune system: introduction
11. Innate immunity
12. How parasites escape innate immunity
13. Disease due to innate immunity
Tutorial 2
14. Adaptive immunity: introduction
15. B cells and antibody
16. T cells and the MHC
17. The antibody response
18. Cell-mediated responses
19. How parasites escape adaptive immunity
20. Disease due to adaptive immunity
Tutorial 3
21. Autoimmunity
22. Genetics of immune responses
23. Immunodeficiency
24. Immunology in the field
25. Vaccination
26. Chemotherapy
27. Public health measures
28. Infectious disease integrated: some examples
Tutorial 4
Appendices
1. Important pathogens
2. Cytokines
3. CD molecules
4. Some immunological techniques