| MadSci Network: Immunology |
Dr. Edward Jenner (he was an English country doctor) in 1796 carried out the first experiments in immunology. Back in those days small pox was a severe problem for all of the world. If you did not die from the disease you would be horrible scarred from the disease. Needless to say it is a horrible disease. Anyway Dr. Jenner noticed that milk maids never contracted, well if they did the symptoms were a not as severe, small pox. They did contract cow pox from the cows but not small pox. So he began to infect people with cow pox thus giving immunity to small pox. Although we know that small pox and cow pox viruses are related to each other and gave immunity to small pox. this is called vaccination. Vacca is latin for cow so there is the name.
Also in 1882 a Russian zoologist named Metchnikoff did experiments with larva of star fish by piercing the larva with rose thorns and he found tiny phagocytic cells attacking the rose thorn. He won a nobel prize in 1908, along with Paul Erlich.
Immunology is a very important subject in biology many millions humans cross the world have been saved through vaccinations. The subject is career, since you can help people through research, I must admit it is a tough subject. Then again everything is difficult until you learn it. If you have any more questions please write again. Thank you very much CHUCK J SCHMIDT
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Immunology.