When the body's defense system mistakenly attacks itself. Learn more about these conditions. Vocabulary in this post autoimmune adjective /ˌɔːtoʊɪˈmjuːn/ /ˌɑːtoʊɪˈmjuːn/ Of or pertaining to autoimmunity. Examples: "My doctor suspects I have an autoimmune disease because my body is attacking its own healthy cells. " disease noun /dɪˈziːz/ /dɪˈziz/ An abnormal condition of a human, animal or plant that causes discomfort or dysfunction; distinct from injury insofar as the latter is usually instantaneously acquired. Examples: "The tomato plants had some kind of disease that left their leaves splotchy and fruit withered." immune system noun /ɪˈmjuːn sɪstəm/ The system that differentiates self from non-self and protects the body from foreign substances and pathogenic organisms by producing an immune response. It includes organs such as the thymus, the spleen and lymph nodes; tissue such as bone marrow, and lymphoid tissues such as the tonsils; cells such as lymphocytes including the B cells and T cells, and cell products such as antibodies. Examples: "Getting enough sleep and eating healthy foods can help strengthen your immune system, making you less likely to get sick. " attack verb /əˈtæk/ To begin to affect; to act upon injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste. Examples: "The damp weather is attacking the wooden fence, causing it to rot. " cells noun /sɛlz/ The basic unit of a living organism, consisting of a quantity of protoplasm surrounded by a cell membrane, which is able to synthesize proteins and replicate itself. Examples: "The human body is made up of trillions of cells. " body noun /ˈbɒdi/ /ˈbɑdi/ Physical frame. Examples: "My sister injured her body during a soccer game. " defense noun /dɪˈfɛns/ The action of defending or protecting from attack, danger, or injury. Examples: "The football team's strong defense kept the other team from scoring any touchdowns. " mistakenly adverb /mɪˈsteɪ.kən.li/ Wrongly, erroneously Examples: "I mistakenly assumed that the shop was still there." condition noun /kənˈdɪʃən/ The health status of a medical patient. Examples: "The doctor examined the patient and noted the condition was improving. " inflammation noun /ɪnfləˈmeɪʃən/ A condition of any part of the body, consisting of congestion of the blood vessels, with obstruction of the blood current, and growth of morbid tissue. It is manifested outwardly by redness and swelling, attended with heat and pain. Examples: "The cut on his knee showed signs of inflammation: redness, swelling, and pain. " chronic adjective /ˈkɹɒnɪk/ Of a problem, that continues over an extended period of time. Examples: "chronic unemployment; chronic poverty; chronic anger; chronic life" genetics noun /dʒɛˈnɛ.tɪks/ The branch of biology that deals with the transmission and variation of inherited characteristics, in particular chromosomes and DNA. Examples: "My family's genetics play a role in our predisposition to certain diseases. "
