How the Human Immune System Works: Innate vs. Adaptive Immunity

What is this page about?

An explainer of how the human immune system works, opening with Jenner's 1796 smallpox inoculation that harnessed immunological memory two centuries before it was understood. It walks the three layers of defense, physical and chemical barriers, innate immunity (pattern recognition and the inflammatory response), and adaptive immunity (the diversity of lymphocytes, clonal selection, T cells for cellular immunity, and B cells and antibodies), then covers self-tolerance and autoimmunity and how immunological memory underlies vaccination.

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Every accepted correction to this page is recorded with the exact change, so readers can see how the page improved over time.

1. 11 July 2026 · corrected by Emir Baycan

   The 2011 Nobel went to Beutler and Hoffmann (with Steinman); Janeway died in 2003 and was never a laureate, though he originated the pattern-recognition concept.

   Before

   Their discovery by Charles Janeway, Bruce Beutler, and Jules Hoffmann earned the Nobel Prize in 2011.

   After

   Their discovery by Bruce Beutler and Jules Hoffmann, building on Charles Janeway's pattern-recognition theory, earned the Nobel Prize in 2011.

   Why: Live article body already correctly reflects that only Beutler and Hoffmann were laureates, with Janeway credited for originating the underlying theory rather than sharing the prize. Verified faq and excerpt, no fabrication remaining.

   View the full record →

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