Abstract
We commonly think of the immune system as having a memory. However, memory is always accompanied by a complementary process of oblivion. Is there immune oblivion? In this theoretical paper, I address this question and suggest that oblivion is an integral aspect of memorization. In this context, I suggest that immune memory is an orchestration of reversible and irreversible processes of biological computation through feedback loops. Drawing on the linguistic metaphor, I inquire into the implications of this idea for a better understanding of immune memory and immune deficiency among the elderly.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 16-22 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology |
Volume | 95 |
Issue number | 1-3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Sep 2007 |
Keywords
- Biosemiotics
- Immune memory/oblivion
- Immune system
- Interdisciplinary research
- Linguistic metaphor
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biophysics
- Molecular Biology