Inflammation

(noun)

An innate immune system function where in response to a pathogen or injury, the chemical mediators cause the blood vessels to dilate, become more permeable, and draws neutrophils to the area.

Related Terms

Examples of Inflammation in the following topics:

  • Inflammation

    • Inflammation is part of the biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli.
    • Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, injury or trauma, and irritants.
    • Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process.
    • Inflammation is not a synonym for infection, even in cases where inflammation is caused by infection, rather it refers to the response of the body to try and fight the infection.

  • Joints and Aging

    • Inflammation is considered to be one of the most common causes of joint pain.
    • Inflammation results in response to pain, infection, and other threats to the body, and can create wear and tear on the body's joints.

  • Vascular Spasm

  • WBC Function

    • Inflammation.

  • Tularemia

    • Inflammation spreads to the lymph nodes, which enlarge and may suppurate (mimicking bubonic plague), accompanied by a high fever.

  • Helminths

    • Inflammation of the gut may also occur, resulting in cyst-like structures forming around the egg deposits throughout the body.

  • Heart Valve Disorders

    • Inflammation of the heart valves due to any cause is called endocarditis; this is usually due to bacterial infection but may also be due to cancer (marantic endocarditis), certain autoimmune conditions (Libman-Sacks endocarditis), and hypereosinophilic syndrome (Loeffler endocarditis).

  • Epidermal Wound Healing

    • Inflammation usually occurs within an hour of the wound occurring.

  • Innate Resistance

    • Inflammation is one of the first responses of the immune system to infection.

  • Impingement Syndrome

    • Inflammation and subsequent thickening of the subacromial bursa may also cause impingement.