Immunotaxonomy

Abstract

The origins of the science of immunology date back to Pasteur who in the latter part of the nineteenth century first recognized that mammals could acquire immunity to pathogens by prior exposure to incapacitated or sublethal doses of the infectious microorganisms. The significance of this to taxonomy, as well as to medicine, lies in the fact that the acquired immunity is specific to the type of pathogenic organism used to provide the initial inoculum, and therefore the specific reaction of the inoculated animal is dependent on the chemistry of the inoculated components. Thus, the method can be used to detect the presence of the same or functionally similar antigens in different species.

ArticleNote

One of the basic properties of the immune system is its specificity. A rabbit may contain up to 100 000 different kinds of protein molecules of its own. Yet, it will produce only antibodies against the foreign molecules with which it is immunised.

(Westbroek et al.1979)