Question

wat is immunology and how does it aid in microbiology?

Answer 1

It is the study of immunity and immune reactions of a particular organism towards an antigen/foreign body.
It involves antigen antibody interactions, activation of cellular and phagocytic mechanisms, and development of an immune response to counteract the change/effect made by the antigen.
It is a part of microbiology......
Detection of antigens, antibodies, and change in normal bodily mechanisms can point to a particular diagnosis and treatment, leadingto cure from the disease.

Answer 2

Immunology is the study of the immune system.

It relates to microbiology primarily because many microorganisms are most easily identified by serological techniques (the use of blood serum, which is the part of blood that contains antibodies), which make use of the specific binding of antibodies to their target antigen. The ELISA is probably the most well known assay of this type.

A good example of this is Chagas disease, caused by a trypanosome (a group of single celled worms). After a month or so, the parasites are mostly inside host cells, and therefore difficult to detect via blood culture or other common diagnostic techniques. However, antigens from the surface of the trypanosome are detectable using the correct antibodies due to the high specificity and affinity of these antibodies.