10. IMMUNITY Flashcards
All macrophages and neutrophils arise from a stem cell called the
haematopoietic stem cell
What are granules in neutrophils
secretory vesicles
The cytoplasm of a neutrophil contains vacuoles full of
hydrolytic enzymes
What removes dead cells in the body
Phagocytes (have lysosomes and vacuoles with hydrolytic enzymes)
Why is it hard to develop a vaccine for malaria
- several causative species
- has many antigens as it is eukaryotic
- different antigens in different stages of life
- mutations change antigens/antigenic mutation/variation
- antigenic concealment
Why would a vaccination programme be unsuccesful
- not able to achieve herd immunity
- lack of willingness of people to get vaccinated
- lack of trained people to vaccinate
- poor immune response
- only trial programmes
How are monoclonal antibodies made by hybridomas
- protein injected into mouse and time given for immune response to occur
- plasma cells extracted from mouse spleen and fused with cancer cells forming hybridoma cells
- cells are separated and cultured in individual wells
- screened for cells producing desired antibody and grown in large cell culture
- antibodies produced can be humanised
Why do we suffer repeated infections of influenza or the common cold
- because there are many different strains of viruses that cause these diseases
- each with having different antigens
Neutrophils (granulocytes)
- phagocytes
- form 60% of the white cells in the blood (most common)
- travel throughout the body, often leaving blood by squeezing through gaps in the walls of the capillaries
- are released in large numbers from their stores in the bone marrow during an infection
- short-lived cells
- contain many lysosomes/vesicles
- number of neutrophils in the blood increase during bacterial infections and when cells become inflamed and die
- smaller than macrophages/monocytes
Macrophages (agranulocytes)
- phagocytes
- larger than neutrophils
- tend to be found in organs such as the lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen and lymph nodes, rather than remaining in the blood
- travel in the blood as monocytes, which develop into macrophages once they leave the blood and settle in organs, removing any foreign matter found there
- long-lived cells
- play a crucial role in initiating immune responses as they act as APCs
What is histamine
- when pathogens invade the body, some of the body’s cells under attack respond by releasing histamine
- plays a role in chemotaxis
What is chemotaxis
movement towards a chemical stimulus such as histamine or other chemicals released by pathogens when they invade the body is called chemotaxis
Plasma cells
- produced by B lymphocytes
- make antibodies
- contain large network of rough endoplasmic reticulum for the production of antibody molecules (protein synthesis)
- contain many mitochondria to provide ATP for protein synthesis and the movement of secretory vesicles
Why are several antibiotics taken
- bacteria likely to be resistant to one antibiotic
- bacteria less likely to be resistant to all antibiotics
Why are antibiotics taken over a long period of time
- bacteria are inside cells where they are protected from antibiotics
- bacteria grow/divide slowly
- ensures all bacteria are killed, otherwise they remain
- prevents development of antibiotic resistance
What causes difference in blood groups
- glycolipid antigens on red blood cells