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12.4 Anatomy Vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Acquired Immune Deficiency syndrome (AIDS) | a disease in which the immune system is greatly weakened due to infection with HIV, making a person more susceptible to rare cancers and opportunistic infections |
| allergen | antigen that causes an inappropriately strong immune system response |
| anaphylaxis | A severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that may include airway obstruction and very low blood pressure |
| autoimmune disorder | a condition in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissue |
| human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) | the virus that causes AIDS |
| Immunotherapy | a long-term, preventive treatment for allergies; "allergy shots" |
| lymphedema | a buildup of extracellular fluid in the body because of disruption in lymphatic drainage |
| metastasis | the spreading of cancerous cells from their original location to another part of the body |
| opportunistic infection | an infection that rarely or never occurs in people with a healthy immune system but that may occur in a person with a damaged immune system, such as from AIDS |
| tolerance | reduction or elimination of the allergic response, which may occur after immunotherapy |