immune system
nounDefinition of immune system
: the bodily system that protects the body from foreign substances, cells, and tissues by producing the immune response and that includes especially the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, special deposits of lymphoid tissue (as in the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow), macrophages, lymphocytes including the B cells and T cells, and antibodies
Examples of immune system in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Endotoxins wreak havoc on the immune system and make humans susceptible to life-threatening conditions like sepsis. — Caren Chesler, Popular Mechanics, "The Blood of the Crab," 23 Aug. 2019 Everyone has a human leukocyte antigen (HLA), a gene complex that is related to the immune system that, among other functions, regulates the kind of bacteria that is found on the surface of the skin. — Elizabeth King, Allure, "Why Mosquitos Bite Some People More Than Others," 8 Aug. 2019 Organs can be rejected by the immune system immediately, which is called acute rejection; the more insidious problem is long-term rejection, in which the body slowly begins to kick the organ out. — Caitlin Dwyer, Longreads, "Shared Breath," 25 July 2019 But sometimes bacteria such as Staph and Strep will manage to slip into a niche within the body and begin multiplying before the immune system’s myriad defenders have a chance to knock them out. — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Expert: Flesh-eating bacteria often present in the body before severe infection takes hold," 19 July 2019 According to Carrie, the disease causes his immune system to over-respond to everything from food in his GI tract to viruses and bacteria. — Claudia Harmata, PEOPLE.com, "This 6-Year-Old Boy Has a Disease So Rare Doctors Say He Is the First to Have It," 13 Aug. 2019 Hart and his team hypothesize that younger animals eat more grass because their immune systems aren’t as good at keeping parasites at bay and because nutritional stress is more detrimental to growing animals than older dogs and cats. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Researchers Think They Know Why Cats Eat Grass," 12 Aug. 2019 That's why a small cadre of patients known as elite controllers has long fascinated researchers: Their immune system alone naturally suppresses HIV for decades without drugs. — Jon Cohen, Science | AAAS, "Can an immune strategy used to treat cancer also wipe out HIV infections?," 7 Aug. 2019 Juice will not detox your body, boost your immune system or cure cancer. — Cara Rosenbloom, Washington Post, "Can juice be part of a healthy diet? Maybe, but it’s better to eat whole produce instead.," 7 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'immune system.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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