Flow cytometry and immunospeak

The inventions of monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry brought immunology out of the descriptive and into the biochemical and molecular biological era. These inventions also created a vocabulary and grammar for immunology, immunospeak, that can be confusing and a hurdle to understanding for the outsider. As a tourist to the field of immunology, there are important terms, types of cells, molecules, and responses in immunospeak, which, like words and phrases in a tourist guide, can allow communication with immunology and immunologists. This review provides a description of flow cytometry, monoclonal antibodies, and a tourist guide to immunospeak which describes key cytokines, cells, and cellular determinants that determine immune responses.