The Physiology of Immunity

Book excerpt: The study of neuroendocrine-immune interactions has become a highly visible and fast-growing segment of mainstream immunology. This book provides an overview of the immune system and in-depth coverage of the many different areas that make up neuroendocrine-immune research. The main emphasis is on the physiology of the processes involved, stressing an integrated approach to immunology. The text is organized in seven sections, beginning with an introduction to the immune system. Section II outlines how the central nervous system (CNS) communicates with central and peripheral lymphoid organs. Section III provides information on factors from the immune system that act as messengers to the CNS. The metabolic regulation of growth and development is discussed in Section IV. Section V examines the interactions occurring between the reproductive and immune systems. The effects of other physiologic stressors on immunity are reviewed in Section VI. Section VII considers cyclic and periodic influences on the immune system. Finally, there is a consideration of a new unifying theory for immunology. Students, researchers, clinicians, and veterinary scientists can discover new areas of interest in specific diseases and immune interactions in this novel presentation.