Ch.6 The Lymphatic and Immune Systems Med Terms

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

The most advanced and fatal stage of an HIV infection.

Antibiotics

Medications capable of inhibiting growth or killing pathogenic bacterial microorganisms.

Antigen

Any substance that the body regards as being foreign.

Autoimmune Disorder

Diseases where the immune system produces antibodies against its own tissues.

Benign

Not life-threatening and does not recur.

Carcinoma

A malignant tumor that occurs in epithelial tissue.

Cytokines

Proteins released primarily by T-cells, such as interferons and interleukins.

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

A cancer of the immune system distinguished by Reed-Sternberg cells.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

A blood-borne infection that damages or kills T cells, leading to immune system failure.

Lymphedema

Swelling of tissues due to an abnormal accumulation of lymph fluid.

Macrophage

A type of leukocyte that surrounds and kills invading cells.

Malignant

Harmful, capable of spreading, and potentially life-threatening.

Metastasis

The spread of cancer cells from one part of the body to another.

Opportunistic Infection

Infections caused by pathogens that do not normally produce illness in healthy individuals.

Sarcoma

A malignant tumor that arises from connective tissues.

Varicella

A highly contagious viral infection caused by the herpes virus Varicella zoster, also known as chickenpox.