PREIMMUNE Meaning and
Definition
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Preimmune is an adjective that refers to a state or condition preceding or prior to the development of an immune response. It relates to the body or an organism's state before exposure to a specific antigen or pathogen, when the immune system has not yet encountered and recognized the foreign substance or threat.
In the context of immunology, preimmune denotes the absence or lack of an immune response or immune memory towards a particular antigen. It characterizes a stage where the immune system has not been activated or primed against a specific pathogen, and therefore lacks specific antibodies or immune cells targeting that pathogen.
The preimmune state is typically associated with naïve immune cells that have not undergone activation or differentiation. In this state, the immune system may still possess general defense mechanisms, such as innate immunity, but it lacks the ability to mount a specific adaptive immune response against a particular antigen.
The term preimmune is often used in experimental and clinical research, particularly in the study of vaccines and immunology. Researchers may analyze or compare the preimmune state to investigate the baseline immune status of individuals or animal models before exposure to a specific antigen or before undergoing immunization. It helps provide insight into the initial immune response and the development of immune memory following exposure to antigens or pathogens.
Common Misspellings for PREIMMUNE
- oreimmune
- lreimmune
- -reimmune
- 0reimmune
- peeimmune
- pdeimmune
- pfeimmune
- pteimmune
- p5eimmune
- p4eimmune
- prwimmune
- prsimmune
- prdimmune
- prrimmune
- pr4immune
- pr3immune
- preummune
- prejmmune
- prekmmune
- preommune
Etymology of PREIMMUNE
The word "preimmune" is derived from the combination of the prefix "pre-" meaning "before" or "prior to", and the term "immune", referring to the body's ability to resist or fight off diseases or infections.
While "immune" comes from the Latin word "immunis" meaning "exempt" or "free from", it originally had legal connotations. In the 19th century, the term was adopted into medical and biological contexts to describe the body's natural defense mechanisms against pathogens.
The addition of the prefix "pre-" to "immune" in "preimmune" emphasizes something that happens before the immune response or before becoming fully immune. It denotes a stage or condition before development of immunity, often used in the context of vaccination or immune system processes.
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