[LAB] glossary of terms Flashcards
A laboratory technique that involves the removal of antibodies by the use of a specific antigen (i.e., red blood cell surface antigen)
Absorption
The proximity or closeness of a value to the true value
Accuracy
Incurred due to external factors and is not inherited
Acquired
Normal serum constituents that increase or decrease in the presence of an infection, injury, or trauma to tissues; associated with inflammatory reactions
Acute-phase proteins
A substance added to vaccines to potentiate or enhance the immune response of the recipient; examples include alum and Freund’s _____
Adjuvant
The key enzyme in the glycolytic cycle of Plasmodium parasite
Aldolase
A process of attachment of one substance to the surface of another; attachment of an antibody to a specific antigen receptor on a cell surface
Adsorption
Binding strength between an antigenic determinant (epitope) and its complementary site (paratope) in the Fab region of the antibody
Affinity
Absence of all immunoglobulins in serum
Agammaglobulinemia
Aggregation or clumping of cellular or particulate antigens to their corresponding antisera containing antibodies
Agglutination
An antibody capable of causing agglutination with multivalent surface antigens: usually belongs to IgM class
Agglutinin
An enzyme that liberates inorganic phosphates from phosphate esters;used as an indicator label in immunoassays
Alkaline phosphatase
Alternative forms of a gene at a particular locus or specific position on a chromosome
Allele
An antigen that triggers an allergic or hypersensitivity reaction
Allergen
An adjuvant commonly added to human vaccines
Alum
An anti-sheep red blood cell antibody that causes hemolysis of sheep red blood cells in the presence of complement
Amboceptor
A rapid rise in the immunoglobulin concentration following subsequent exposure to an antigen; also known as a secondary immune response or booster response
Anamnestic Response
An immunoglobulin (Ig) formed in response to an antigen
Antibody
Highest dilution factor of a sample that still results in a visible reaction (i.e.,agglutination)
Antibody Titer
Any substance that, when introduced into the body, stimulates antibody production
Antigen
Union of an antibody with its homologous antigen
Antigen-antibody complex
Accessory cells present in tissues that process antigens and display fragments on the cell surface in association with a Class II major histocompatibility complex molecules; examples include dendritic cells and macrophages
Antigen-presenting cells (APC)
Number of antigenic determinants on an antigen
Antigen Valency
A specific region of an antigen that is recognized by the B- or T-cell receptors
Antigenic Determinant
Ability of a substance to react with immune products
Antigenicty
An autoimmune antibody directed against a nuclear component; usually seen in patients with systemic lupuserythematosus
Antinuclear antibody (ANA)
An antibody produced against streptolysin O, a hemolysin produced by group A Streptococcus
Antistreptolysin O (ASO)
Suppressor and cytotoxic T-cells capable of recognizing and killing B-cells infected by viruses such as Epstein Barr virus; also known as reactive lymphocytes
Atypical lymphocytes
Former name of the hepatitis B surface antigen
Australia Antigen
The condition in which an immune response is initiated by “self” antigens
Autoimmunity
The sum total binding strength between an antigen and an antibody
Avidity
A lymphocyte that originated from the bone marrow; cells of theadaptive immune response that possess surface antibodies that are specific to an epitope
B-cell
A protein not normally present in human blood but is present in a wide variety of inflammatory reactions; characterized by their ability to react with the C-polysaccharide component of pneumococci
C-reactive protein (CRP)
A substance composed of fresh beef heart extract combined with lecithin and cholesterol
Cardiolipin
Immunity that is dependent on T-cells and phagocytic cells
Cell-mediated immunity
The movement of cells such as neutrophils toward a stimulus
Chemotaxis
Cell surface markers that are employed for immunophenotyping cells particularly lymphocytes; also known as cluster of differentiation
Cluster of Designation (CD)
Agglutinins that belong to the IgM class and are active at 4℃ but not at 37℃
Cold agglutinins
A humoral mechanism of non-specific immune responses of at least 14 components that proceed in a cascading sequence of activation, resulting in cell lysis; formerly known as alexin; there are three complement pathways, namely, classical, alternative, and mannose-binding lectin
Complement
The process of binding of complement in a reaction with an antigen and antibody
Complement fixation
