Abstract
The term “osteoimmunology” describes the molecular and cellular cross talk between the skeletal and immune systems. Before referring to these immune–skeletal interactions, we introduce the two main branches of the immune system, the innate immunity and the adaptive immunity. The immune system developed during evolution to protect the organism against invading infectious agents such as bacteria, fungi and viral agents. In principle, the immune system is divided into two major branches that differ from each other in preferentially involved cell types and the mechanisms of action of the immune response. However, innate and adaptive immunities are also closely linked and synergized to ensure best immune defence against microbes.
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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
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Schett, G. (2016). An Introduction to the Immune System. In: Pietschmann, P. (eds) Principles of Osteoimmunology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-34238-2_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-34238-2_3
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