Elucidating the functional anatomy of secondary lymphoid organs.
Functional anatomy offers an attempt to exploit anatomical information as a platform from which to decipher mechanistic details of complex or multistep immunological processes. Immune function depends on structural organization, therefore this approach contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the immune system. Major advances in functional anatomy require progress in both experimental techniques and analytical equipment - largely synonymous to refinement of the anatomist's favorite tool, the microscope. Here, we describe how currently available techniques co-operate to gain new insights into the biology of secondary lymphoid organs.
Pabst
Oliver
O
Institute of Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
Herbrand
Heike
H
Bernhardt
Günter
G
Förster
Reinhold
R
D000818:Animals; D018858:Germinal Center / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000276:immunology