Definition
Developmental immunotoxicology is defined as the study of the consequences of exposing the immune system to toxic agents during embryonic and fetal development. Thus, the qualifying term “developmental” refers directly to that period of embryonic and fetal differentiation and maturation of the immune system. This includes the organogenesis of the various anatomical structures that are required for the normal function of the immune system, such as the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, microenvironment of the bone marrow, Peyer’s patches, and lymph and blood distribution systems during prenatal development. In addition, the functionality of the immune system depends directly on the normal development of the hematopoietic systems which provides the various cellular elements of the immune system (such as lymphocytes and myeloid cells).
Although there is maturation of the immune system postnatally in the human,...
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Barnett, J., Elliott, M. (2016). Developmental Immunotoxicology. In: Vohr, HW. (eds) Encyclopedia of Immunotoxicology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54596-2_376
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54596-2_376
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