self (s lf)n. pl. selves (s lz) 1. The total, essential, or particular being of a person; the individual. 2. One's consciousness of one's own being or identity; the ego. 3. That which the immune system identifies as belonging to the body. |
self
1 the total essence or being of a person; the individual.
2 those affective, cognitive, and spiritual qualities that distinguish one person from another; individuality.
3 a person's awareness of his or her own being or identity; consciousness; ego. See also personality.
self
a term used to denote an animal's own antigenic constituents, in contrast to 'not-self', denoting foreign antigenic constituents. The 'self' constituents do not normally elicit an immune response, i.e. there is self-tolerance, whereas the antigens which are 'not-self' do elicit an immune response. Self reactive lymphocytes, particularly T lymphocytes within the thymus, are eliminated. The breakdown of self-tolerance by a number of mechanisms is the basis for autoimmune diseases. See also immunity.
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