Immunology Flashcards

What is Immunology?

Immunology is the branch of medicine that studies the immune system. The immune system, while not a defined system like the nervous system for example, is what protects us from infection. When the immune system fails, the result can be diseases such as autoimmunity, allergies, and cancer.

Immunology is not just behind the many scientific breakthroughs in the 19th and 20th centuries, but it has changed the face of modern medicine as we know it. The identification of blood groups and safe organ transplantation is attributed to immunology, which in itself is mind-boggling in terms of saving lives.

Don’t like needles? The Resistance to Immunization

Ever since vaccinations were pioneered, there’s been resistance. Mass-immunization programs are extremely effective in the eradication of targeted disease--and for even even those not vaccinated; we benefit by there being fewer pathogens in the population regardless of a lack of immunity. For the most part, governments use public education to encourage people to participate in vaccination programs.

Resistance to this life-saving treatment has been based historically based on a potentially deadly combination of ignorance and fear. Beginning in the nineteenth century, several groups have objected to immunization based on religious, ethical, political, medical safety, and other grounds. In 1853, with the population unconvinced, England and Wales, instead passed a law requiring every person to be vaccinated. Non-compliance was met with hefty fines; thus, the majority had virtually no choice in receiving their life-saving smallpox jab!

Certainly there have been objections from parents in recent years, who are not convinced with medical research and consider that the risk of a vaccination outweighs the benefit. But that is not the expert medical advice out there. It’s estimated that immunization prevents between two and three million US deaths, annually from tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and measles.

The Impact of Immunology on Modern Life

Immunology has a larger impact on our lives than you might consider. Apart from the fact your ancestors would have been unlikely to have survived smallpox without it.

The milk we drink--and some of the food we eat--is pasteurised due to Louis Pasteur’s work in immunology. When you enroll this term, you’ll need your vaccine card checked, by Law.

Currently, Americans are vaccinated for pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and hepatitis B.  If you are thinking of taking a trip, you’ll need to check up on your vaccines if your heading to some places such as Africa.

Similarly, there are border checks to ensure no one is bringing in any contaminated items such as food and for full vaccination stamps on foreign visitors.

Careers in Immunology

To become an immunologist you’ll need a postgraduate doctorate after an undergraduate major. Immunologists work in a varied range of organisations across different areas from the health sector, to pharmaceutical/biotech industries, and universities. Clinical immunologists help in the diagnosis and management of diseases of the immune system, such as autoimmune diseases and allergies.

Edward Jenner (the father of immunology) is considered to have saved more lives than any other human in history - simply for noticing milkmaids didn’t get sick from smallpox. While that accolade has become hidden, fortunately, there are still enormous strides to be made. Advances in treatments attributed to immunologists mean that some families no longer go through the heartbreak of cancer treatment and bereavement, making this work incredibly satisfying and worthwhile. Immunologists strive to continue human understanding and find cures that will greatly minimize human suffering. You could be at the forefront of this ongoing battle as we seek to find the answers behind illnesses such as Alzheimer's, Cancer, and AIDS.

If you’d like to learn more about the immune system, check out this video from The Crash course team. Alternatively, learn more at the The American Association of Immunologists or The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma And Immunology.

Learning Immunology

Immunology undergrads will study other subjects such as: Biomolecular sciences, infection biology, molecular biology, statistics and data analysis, infectious disease, vaccination, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, neuroinflammation and other autoimmune and inflammatory pathologies.

Graduates will need to memorize a vast amount of scientific terminology as well as comprehending complex concepts in order to present data analytically. Going forward with postgraduate study means you’ll need to retain and build-on this knowledge.

Brainscape provides an ideal supplementary educational tool helping you to commit essential information to memory enabling you to build on practical research techniques.

Immunology in Brainscape

There are thousands of Immunology flashcards available in Brainscape all prepared by top students and professors.

In addition, Brainscape has partnered with top medical experts to create the most COMPREHENSIVE, well-organized, convenient, and effective collection of USMLE Step 1 flashcards available anywhere. The Immunology S1 USMILE is perfect for medical students studying Immunology.

If you’d like to create your own flashcards, you can do that too; choose to become a valued contributor or keep your learning catalog private, author your cards or import data; the choice is yours.

Learn faster with Brainscape

Through extensive development, Brainscape has created the world's foremost learning engine that allows you to learn twice as fast and remember longer.

Brainscape’s Confidence-Based Repetition or (CBR) uses three key learning methods--Active Recall, Metacognition, and Spaced Repetition--to achieve outstanding results.

Brainscape is different from other computer-aided learning tools you may have tried in that there's no randomness to the flashcards that you are shown. Brainscape's unique CBR system powers its algorithm by each individual learners metacognitive rating -- providing the best educational tool on the market today.  

It sounds complex, but in practice its super user-friendly. After each note card, Brainscape asks you to record a rating from 1-5, representative of your understanding of the content. This metacognition process improves your knowledge and gives the algorithm all the data it needs to reposition the flashcard in the deck for your optimal learning.  If you scored the flashcard a “5”, it will effectively go way down the deck but if you recorded an understanding rating of “1” the algorithm will know to repeat the card shortly until your understanding improves.

The result: you’ll never waste time in Brainscape; you'll find you are learning twice as fast as with traditional learning. Spaced repetition is also a feature of the CBR system. You’ll benefit from this tried-and-tested method of viewing easily digestible pieces of information at regularly spaced intervals.

Access Brainscape from your PC or iOS device and learn whenever you choose. What are you waiting for? Read on to take charge of your learning today.  

How to get started

To give your learning a boost, start with Brainscape now; it’s easy. Take a quick look and you’ll see decks with titles such as everything from Immunoglobulins and T-cells to Viruses and Immunological Memory.

Once you’ve selected just dig in and start learning the Brainscape way!

If you’d prefer to authoring your own flashcards, then just click on “make flashcards” at the top of the page and get started making your own personalized learning resource, today. Choose your settings to decide whether to share your flashcards or keep them private.

Happy learning from the Brainscape team and all the best in your Immunology studies and career.