1.1 Immunology Overview Flashcards
What is immunology?
Study of bodies defense mechanisms to protect itself from microorganisms and non-self tissues
- How we protect ourselves from intruders and remove them
Where do immune interactions occur?
In the lymph nodes
Where do cells mature?
In the thymus
What are primary immune organs?
Thymus and bone marrow
What are the types of cellular barriers?
Neutrophil Eosinophil Basophil Monocyte Lymphocyte
What is the pathway for your source of immune cells?
Starts in the yolk sac (from mom) –> fetal liver and spleen (after yolk sac deteriorates) –> bone marrow (main source of immune cells)
What are the 2 branches of the immune system?
Innate and adaptive
Describe innate immunity
- Rapid response
- Fixed response
- Limited number of specificities
- Constant during response
Describe adaptive immunity
- Slow response
- Variable
- Numerous highly selective specificities
- Improve during response
How do mucosal surfaces help with innate immunity?
Allows gases in and out and they have specialized mechanisms to protect themselves from invaders
What are the external components of the innate immune system?
Skin, GI tract, Respiratory tract, Urogenital tract, Eyes
What’s the process for a tissue to become infected?
Surface wound introduces bacteria –> activates resident effector cells to secrete cytokines
Vasodilation and increased vascular permeability allow fluid, protein, and inflammatory cells to leave blood and enter tissue
Infected tissue becomes inflamed
Describe phagocytosis
A complement is nicked and parts bind to bacterium
Complement fragment covalently bonds to bacterium, the effector cell is attracted
Complement receptor on effector cell binds to complement fragment on bacterium
Effector cell engulfs the bacterium, kills and breaks it down
Lymphocyte recirculation process
Lymph node –> vein –> heart –> artery –> back to lymph node
Binding of bacteria to phagocytic receptors on macrophages induces their ___ and ___
Engulfment and degradation