Year: 1994
Type: article
Abstract: To understand the immunological capabilities of the bovine neonate, the complete ontogeny of the bovine immune system must be understood. As in most species, the developing bovine fetus is deficient in a number of different cellular and humoral factors that play important roles in host defenses during postnatal life. In the bovine fetus, as in other species, the immune response appears to develop and mature sequentially. During this development, maternal cells and humoral factors serve as the major protective barriers to infectious agents. However, the newborn calf is essentially agammaglobulinaemic because of the syndesmochorial placentation that does not permit the transfer of maternal immunoglobulins to the fetal circulation. The newborn calf is dependent on the absorption of immunoglobulins from colostrum to provide adequate humoral immunity. Colostrum also contains numerous leukocytes. The role and relative importance of these cells are not clear. However, recent data suggest that these maternally derived cells may influence the development of effective cellular immunity.
Source: The Bovine Practitioner
Authors: D. Scott McVey, Robert Black
Institution: Kansas State University
Language: English
Topic: Animal health and immunology
Subfield: Small Animals
Field: Veterinary
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3136988395