Glossary
Adjuvant: In vaccines, a substance that is added to increase the immune response
Antibody: A protein molecule that is produced by B cells in the body in response to contact with a foreign substance termed an antigen. Antibodies neutralize antigens and are an important part of the immune response against infection. Antibodies are also called immunoglobulins.
Antigen: A substance that can produce a specific immune response
Attenuated: Weakened; in vaccines, the weakening of a virus or bacteria to disable its ability to cause disease
Booster shot: A dose of a vaccine that helps the body maintain immunity against a disease
Capsule: An anatomical structure surrounding the body of a bacteria
FDA: Abbreviation of Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. government entity responsible for reviewing drugs and vaccines for effectiveness and safety
Humoral immunity: Immunity referring to elements dissolved in the blood or body fluids, such as antibodies in the blood, rather than cells
Lymph node: A small mesh of tissue that filters, attacks, and destroys harmful microbes. Part of a network of nodes scattered throughout the body to fight infection
Lymphocyte: B cells or T cells that help the immune system fight an infection and provide humoral (B cell) or cellular (T cell) immunity
Macrophage: A large white blood cell that kills invading microbes and takes the antigens of those cells to helper T cells, so that they can identify and kill the infection
Membrane: A thin layer of tissue that covers a surface or divides a space within an organism
Memory cell: T and B cells that control the ability of the immune system to remember a certain invader and prevent it from being able to cause infection in the future
Mutate: To change in form, quality, or other characteristic
Nonspecific immune system: A network of specialized cells, such as macrophages, that responds to infections at the same rate, whether it's a first invasion or a subsequent invasion
Polysaccharide: A carbohydrate, or sugar, molecule found in the capsules of bacteria
Protective immunity: Describes immunity at a high enough level to protect an individual from infection. Protective immunity can be attained as a result of a vaccine, or as a result of acquiring a particular disease.
Protein shell: Protective coating of protein molecules covering the body of a virus
Specific immune system: Network of cells consisting of B and T cells and antigen-presenting cells that takes several days or more to respond to an infection the first time, but which responds more quickly and powerfully the next time
Stabilizer: A chemical additive that helps a vaccine stay potent during shipping and storage
Sterile: Free from living organisms or contaminants
Toxin: A poison
Varicella: Medical term for chickenpox, a highly contagious disease usually acquired by children, that causes skin rash and itchy blisters on the body
