Texas Medical Assistant Certification Practice Test

What are diseases called that result from the body misidentifying its own cells as pathogens?

1. Allergies

2. Immunodeficiency diseases

3. Autoimmune diseases

4. Hypersensitivity disorders

The correct answer is: Autoimmune diseases

Diseases that occur when the immune system mistakenly identifies the body's own cells as foreign pathogens are known as autoimmune diseases. In these conditions, the immune system produces antibodies and activates immune cells against its own tissues, leading to inflammation and damage. Common examples include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Understanding autoimmune diseases is crucial for medical professionals, as their management often requires a comprehensive approach that includes immunosuppressive therapies to alleviate symptoms and prevent further tissue damage. These diseases highlight the complex interplay between the immune system and the body's own cells, emphasizing the need for accurate diagnostics and treatment strategies. Allergies, immunodeficiency diseases, and hypersensitivity disorders involve different mechanisms of immune response that do not stem from the misrecognition of self-cells. Allergies are an overreaction to harmless substances, immunodeficiency diseases result from a lack of immune response, and hypersensitivity disorders represent exaggerated responses to antigens, rather than a direct attack on self-cells.