Immunoresponsive

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Able to generate an effective immune system reaction to an antigen or pathogen
2. Showing the capacity to produce an appropriate immune response when exposed to foreign substances
3. Capable of mounting a functional immunological defense against infectious agents or other immune challenges

Etymology: "Immunoresponsive" is a plain compound built from "immuno-", a combining form drawn from "immune" and used in scientific terms relating to the immune system, and "responsive", meaning reacting or answering to a stimulus. Put together, the word describes something that responds in an immune way: a cell, tissue, or organism that reacts to an antigen or other immune signal. The "immuno-" part carries the older history. "Immune" comes from Latin "immunis", meaning exempt from public service or obligation, and the sense of protection from disease developed from that idea of being freed from a burden. "Responsive" comes from the verb "respond", inherited through Old French from Latin "respondere", "to answer". So the word joins a term for protection with one for answering, a combination that suits its medical meaning closely.

Synonyms: immunoreactive