📚 Learning Guide
Autoimmune Diseases
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What underlying mechanism is primarily responsible for the tissue damage observed in autoimmune diseases?

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Choose the Best Answer

A

The immune system attacking its own cells due to a lack of self-tolerance

B

Excessive hormone production leading to inflammation

C

Genetic mutations that weaken the immune response

D

Environmental toxins causing immune system overactivity

Understanding the Answer

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Answer

Tissue damage in autoimmune diseases mainly comes from the immune system mistakenly targeting the body’s own cells. When self‑tolerance is lost, autoreactive T cells and autoantibodies recognize normal tissues as foreign and launch an attack. The attack triggers inflammation, releasing enzymes and reactive molecules that destroy the cells and surrounding tissue. For example, in type 1 diabetes, T cells invade the pancreas and kill insulin‑producing beta cells, leading to high blood sugar.

Detailed Explanation

In autoimmune disease the body’s immune system loses the ability to tell its own cells apart from foreign invaders. Other options are incorrect because Hormones control many body processes, but they do not cause the immune system to attack itself; Autoimmune disorders are not caused by a weakened immune response; they are caused by a misdirected one.

Key Concepts

Autoimmune Diseases
Immune System Regulation
Self-Tolerance Mechanisms
Topic

Autoimmune Diseases

Difficulty

medium level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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