T Lymphocytes
Key Points T cells develop primarily in the thymus. The importance of the thymus is underscored by the absence of T cells in patients in whom the thymus has failed…
Neutrophils
Key Points Neutrophils are myeloid-lineage cells characterized by the presence of granules containing enzymes and other potentially toxic agents involved in host defense. Neutrophils are short-lived, terminally differentiated cells that…
Mononuclear Phagocytes
Key Points At least two populations of tissue macrophages exist: tissue-resident cells that are embryonically derived and a monocyte-derived population. Their functions may be discrete. Macrophages are plastic and will…
Dendritic Cells
Key Points Dendritic cells (DCs) together with monocytes and macrophages compose the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS). DCs are professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), abundant at body surfaces and within tissues, where…
Proteinases and Matrix Degradation
Key Points Proteinases are generally classified into aspartic proteinases, cysteine proteinases, serine proteinases, and metalloproteinases according to their catalytic mechanism. Because of the optimal acidic pH and intra-cellular localization within…
Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering
Key Points Tissue repair and regeneration are partially determined by genetic factors. Successful regeneration requires a balanced immune cell response. The increased understanding of molecular signals governing native joint-resident stem…
Biomechanics
Key Points Kinematics is the study of the geometric and time-dependent aspects of motion without analyzing the forces causing the motion. Kinetics is the study of the forces that cause…
Muscle: Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry
Key Points The structure and function of skeletal muscle and its neural recruitment pattern can change rapidly in response to activity level (i.e., plasticity). The smallest functional unit of muscle,…
Biology, Physiology, and Morphology of Bone
Key Points Intramembranous or endochondral ossification generates bone tissue. Bones consist of a dense cortical shell and sponge-like trabecular network. Bone formation depends on metabolically active osteoblasts synthesizing matrix proteins….
