Complement system

Term · Chemistry · MLC-T-CHM-002315

A network of proteins found in blood plasma that works with the immune system to defend against pathogens. Activation occurs through a cascade of enzymatic reactions, which can be initiated by antibodies bound to a target (classical pathway) or directly by microbial surfaces (alternative pathway). The process culminates in the formation of a membrane attack complex that lyses target cells and the generation of inflammatory mediators.

Table 1. Record
Identifier	MLC-T-CHM-002315
Field	Chemistry
Subject	Chemistry and Human Health
References	PAC, 2012, 84, 1113. 'IUPAC glossary of terms used in immunotoxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2012)' on page 1147 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-11-06-03)
See also	Alternative pathway; Anaphylatoxin; Classical pathway; Humoral immune response; Opsonization; Phagocytosis

Record as JSON

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-002315",
  "term": "Complement system",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "A network of proteins found in blood plasma that works with the immune system to defend against pathogens. Activation occurs through a cascade of enzymatic reactions, which can be initiated by antibodies bound to a target (classical pathway) or directly by microbial surfaces (alternative pathway). The process culminates in the formation of a membrane attack complex that lyses target cells and the generation of inflammatory mediators.",
  "subject": "Chemistry and Human Health",
  "see_also": [
    "alternative pathway",
    "anaphylatoxin",
    "classical pathway",
    "humoral immune response",
    "opsonization",
    "phagocytosis"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 2012, 84, 1113. 'IUPAC glossary of terms used in immunotoxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2012)' on page 1147 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-11-06-03)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/complement-system/"
}

Record 2,469 of 13,676 in Chemistry terminology (MLC-0109). Request the full dataset.