ABSTRACT
EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE Michel Fournier,1,4 Pauline Brousseau,2 Helen Tryphonas,3 and Daniel
Université du Quebec a Montreal Montreal, Quebec
2 Department of Biological Sciences Concordia University
Montreal, Quebec 3 Toxicolology Research Division
Bureau of Chemical Safety Food Directorate, Health Protection Branch, Health Canada
Ottawa, Ontario 4 Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Institut Maurice-Lamontagne Mont-Joli, Quebec
Introduction
The immune system, developed during evolution through interactions between hosts and infectious agents, uses its effector mechanisms against all potentially pathogenic agents: viruses and other microorganisms, parasites and neoplasic cells (Roitt et al., 1993). Without this system, which defines and determines the “self” and the “nonself,” animal life would likely not exist or, at least, not exist as we know it. The considerable importance of the immune system justifies the work devoted to immunotoxic phenomena and their consideration in evaluating the risk of chemical substances.