This Glossary is arranged alphabetically so you can scroll down the list to find a term you want or click on the alphabet below. Throughout the other pages words used in the glossary are highlighted and clicking on them will bring you here for an explanation. Anaemia - a reduction in the quantity of haemoglobin in the blood. Haemoglobin is the molecule that carries oxygen around the body, therefore the symptoms of anaemia are excessive tiredness, breathlessness during exercise and pale skin. They bind to and neutralise pathogens or prepare them for uptake and destruction by phagocytes.
Autoantibodies recognise antigens on our own cells and can cause autoimmunity.
Antigen - Antibody generator. An antigen is anything that can be detected by an antibody and induce an immune response. They are usually small proteins on the surface of pathogenic cells, but can also be bits of DNA, phospholipids or sugar and may be found on our own cells. Every cell carries the instructions to kill itself should it be necessary. The process is very efficient, preventing damage to surrounding cells and recycling as much as possible.