Abstract

Immunology, as a branch of biology, deals with two fundamental issues. First, what features make one particular group of organisms unique and distinct from other organisms of similar kind? Second, how are the mechanisms that protect organisms from their predators built and maintained? Until after World War II immunology lacked formal theoretical approach to these issues, but it was delivered with an introduction of “the self” notion. Alfred I. Tauber is one of the most important and qualified scientist involved in studies of this concept in the field of immunology. For this reason, I will begin this introduction with a short biography of Alfred Tauber. In second part, I will briefly describe the notion of the immune self