© 2003 Robert A. Freitas Jr. All Rights Reserved.

Robert A. Freitas Jr., Nanomedicine, Volume IIA: Biocompatibility, Landes Bioscience, Georgetown, TX, 2003

15.2.3.1 Overview of the Human Immune System

The human immune system [348-351] consists of two main branches:

(1) the natural, inherited, or innate system that is relatively fast-acting (e.g., responding to challenges in a few minutes), constituting the nonspecific immune response (Section 15.2.3.1.1); and

(2) the acquired, learned, or adaptive system that is relatively slow-acting (e.g., requiring at least 5-7 days to respond in a primary infection scenario and 1-3 days for a secondary infection), constituting the specific immune response (Section 15.2.3.1.2).

Last updated on 30 April 2004