The Immune System

This chapter will present an outline of the structure and functions of the immune system. The approach will differ somewhat from others, as it will not be an exhaustive treatise on the immune system. Our knowledge of the immune system, although far from complete, is already so detailed that such a treatise would be inappropriate (and beyond the capability of this author). Besides, there are excellent comprehensive textbooks that serve this purpose well.1–6 Instead, this chapter will present an overview of the immune system, emphasizing those facts and concepts that will be useful in understanding the material in this book.