Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with, among other things, the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and disease; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders (autoimmune diseases, hypersensitivities, immune deficiency, allograft rejection); the physical, chemical and physiological characteristics of the components of the immune system in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. Immunology has various applications in several disciplines of science, and as such is further divided.

Histological examination of the immune system

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Even before the concept of immunity (from immunis, Latin for "exempt") was developed, numerous early physicians characterised organs that would later prove to be part of the immune system. The key organs of the immune system are thymus, spleen, bone marrow, lymph vessels, lymph nodes and secondary lymphatic tissues such as tonsils, adenoids, and skin. Two major organs, the thymus and spleen, are examined histologically only post-mortem during autopsy. However some lymph nodes and secondary lymphatic tissues can be surgically excised for examination while patients are still alive.

Many components of the immune system are actually cellular in nature and not associated with any specific organ but rather are embedded or circulating in various tissues located throughout the body.

More on [ Immunology ]

BBC News | Science & Environment | World Edition

Mammals facing extinction threat
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:03:17 -0000
About 25% of the world's mammal species are at risk of extinction, according to a global assessment.
Nobel prize for viral discoveries
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:57:48 -0000
The discovery of HIV and work linking a virus to cervical cancer jointly win the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
EU's climate package 'in crisis'
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:00:21 -0000
The EU's attempt to lead the world on climate change will crumble unless its current policy crisis is resolved, a study warns.

L.A. Times - Science

Nobel Prize awarded for AIDS, cervical cancer research
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:15:00 -0700
The awards recognize two French researchers who discovered the human AIDS virus and a German scientist who showed that human papilloma virus causes cervical cancer. Two French researchers who discovered the human AIDS virus and a German scientist who showed that human papilloma virus causes cervical cancer were awarded on Monday the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Infertility patients caught in the legal, moral and scientific embryo debate
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Tough decisions about what to do with unused embryos lead to a bigger question: When does life begin? Six years of frustration and heartbreak. That's how Gina Rathan recalls her attempts to become pregnant.
Criminal past is no bar to nursing in California
Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Times investigation finds the state nurse licensing board allowed sex offenders, drug users and convicts to retain and renew their permits. Dozens of registered nurses convicted of crimes, including sex offenses and attempted murder, have remained fully licensed to practice in California for years before the state nursing board acted against them, a Times investigation found.

Reuters: Science News

AIDS pioneers and cancer scientist win Nobel prize
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:39:10 -0400
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Two French scientists who discovered the AIDS virus and a German who bucked conventional wisdom to find a virus that causes cervical cancer were awarded the 2008 Nobel prize for medicine on Monday.
NASA spacecraft zooms above surface of Mercury
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:20:50 -0400
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A car-sized NASA spacecraft zoomed above the surface of Mercury on Monday, viewing rocky terrain never before seen up close on our solar system's sun-baked innermost planet, scientists said.
One in four mammals risks extinction
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:23:44 -0400
BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - A quarter of the world's mammals are threatened with extinction, an international survey showed on Monday, and the destruction of habitats and hunting are the major causes.

AP Top Science News At 2:09 p.m. EDT

Scientists: 1 in 4 mammals faces extinction
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:52:41 -0000
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Conservationists have taken the first detailed look at the world's mammals in more than a decade, and the news isn't good....
AP Investigation: Ike environmental toll apparent
By DINA CAPPIELLO, FRANK BASS and CAIN BURDEAU Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:35:09 -0000
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hurricane Ike's winds and massive waves destroyed oil platforms, tossed storage tanks and punctured pipelines. The environmental damage only now is becoming apparent: At least a half million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico and the marshes, bayous and bays of Louisiana and Texas, according to an analysis of federal data by The Associated Press....
Recordings aim to capture calls of the wild West
By MIKE STARK Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:51:35 -0000
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Rattlesnakes aren't to be trifled with, but if you're trying to collect the sound of every creature in the West that slithers, hops, flies or flops, distance isn't a luxury you can afford....

NOVA scienceNOW | PBS

NOVA scienceNOW: Phoenix Mars Lander
NOVA Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0500
NASA's latest robot has already found frozen water and is looking for more signs that the Red Planet could support life.
NOVA scienceNOW: Brain Trauma
NOVA Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0500
Even so-called "mild" head injuries turn out to be anything but.
NOVA scienceNOW: Mammoth Mystery
NOVA Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0500
A pair of mammoth skeletons is found locked together by their tusks. What happened?

Newsweek Technology Headlines

It’s Getting Crowded in Here
Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000
Online communities of curious amateurs represent the future of business, says a new book.
The Cloud's Chrome Lining
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000
What Google's browser suggests about the way the search giant views the Web
Virtual Viewpoint
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0000
A new online software service allows you to build three-dimensional scenes out of dozens of photographs.

Innovation

Horizon highlights – Blogging for profit, more 3-D movies, recycling PCs
cgaylord Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:54:34 -0000
Our regular roundup of sci-tech stories from across the Web includes: the secrets to blogging for profit, major push from movie companies to have more 3-D movie theaters, and how to lay your PC to rest the green way. Let’s kick it off: Jobs 2.0: How do bloggers make money? “Bloggers create 900,000 blog posts a day [...]
How white roofs shine bright green
editorial Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:30:48 -0000
Can you help save the planet by painting your roof white? Hashem Akbari thinks so. Global warming’s complexity and momentum have led to a try-everything approach by scientists. In that spirit, Dr. Akbari offers his simple yet profound innovation for slowing that warming way down. It has long been known that a white roof makes a dwelling cooler. [...]
Facebooking the Palin-Biden debate
cgaylord Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:56:53 -0000
As I flipped channels last night, wading through the cable news networks’ pre-game shows before Joe Biden and Sarah Palin’s vice presidential debate, I picked up my iPhone, launched the Facebook application, and updated my status: “Andrew is: debate prepping.” Now, that’s not so surprising. I’ve been a little too tied to my new favorite gadget [...]

Science News - UPI.com

McCormick-brand enchilada mix recalled
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:32:33 -0400
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of McCormick-brand enchilada sauce mix because of a health risk.
Low-frequency human brain signal studied
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:25:58 -0400
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've taken one of the first "direct looks" at a human brain signal that never switches off and might support many cognitive functions.
Coating may mean sleeker planes
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:17:54 -0400
MALIBU, Calif., Oct. 6 (UPI) -- A U.S. defense contractor is developing a new type of surface coating that one day could mean sleeker aircraft, a researcher for the company says.

 

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