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The Latin term immunis, meaning “exempt,” gave rise to the English word immunity, which refers to all the mechanisms used by the body as protection against environmental agents that are foreign to the body. These agents may be microorganisms or their products, foods, chemicals, drugs, pollen, or animal hair and dander.

Our understanding of how the innate and adaptive immune systems interact to enable host immune responses to optimally protect the host from infectious pathogens is greatly enhanced by our knowledge of the cells and tissues of the immune system at large (see Chapter 3). Below is a brief overview of the innate and adaptive immune systems followed by an introduction to the development of the immune system.