1.1: Innate Immunity Flashcards
Are antibiotics a treatment for a yeast infection? Explain why you answered yes or no.
- antibiotics are NOT a treatment
–doesn’t kill Candida albicans because this is a yeast, not a bacteria.
–instead, antibiotics would kill Lactobacillus acidophilus (good bacteria), worsening the infection - actual treatment:
–probiotic
–anti-fungal
How can anticholinergic drugs compromise the immune system?
decreases saliva (so less lysozymes or IgA)
decreases stomach acid (chemical barrier)
= more prone to bacterial infections
How do gastric juices help contribute to innate immunity? Is this a physical or chemical barrier?
low pH (few pathogens can survive acidic conditions)
chemical barrier
How do the following defenses function as chemcials or produce chemicals that act in innate immunity?
sebum
lysozyme
saliva
tears
urine
gastric juice
vaginal secretions
Lactobacillus acidophilus
sebum
-low pH & bacteriostatic
lysozyme
-antimicrobial protein (enzyme)
-cleaves peptidoglycan (in other words, cuts cell walls)
tears & saliva
-contain lysozymes
urine & gastric juice (stomach acid)
-low pH (acidic)
vaginal secretions
-low pH (acidic)
Lactobacilus acidophilus
-produces lactic acid = creates low pH environment in vagina
How do vaginal secretions kill bacteria? Is this a chemical or physical barrier in innate immunity?
low pH = kills bacteria
chemical barrier
How does breast milk contribute to immune protection in an infant?
(State what is breast milk that provides immunity and the function).
breast milk contains IgA (an antibody)
Function: IgA
-prevents bacteria attaching to mucus membranes
-Adaptive immunity
How does gastric juice kill bacteria? Is this a chemical or physical barrier in innate immunity?
gastric juice (a low pH)= kills bacteria
chemical barrier
How does hair function as part of innate immunity? Is this a physical or chemical barrier?
line ears to prevent bacteria entering.
physical barrier
How does peristalsis contribute to innate immunity? Is this a physical or chemical barrier?
movement in intestines moves things forwards
physical barrier
How does the epiglottis function as part of innate immunity? Is this a physical or chemical barrier?
prevents bacteria from entering lungs
physical barrier
How does urine function as part of innate immunity? Is this a physical or chemical barrier?
a physical and chemical barrier
physical: helps “wash out” bacteria in bladder, ureters, and urethra
chemical: low pH and bacteriostatic
How does vomiting, coughing, and sneezing contribute to the first line of defense (innate immunity)? Is this a physical or chemical barrier?
expell pathogens out of the body
physical barrier
Is adaptive immunity specific or non-specific? What line of defense makes up adaptive immunity? What cell types are found in adaptive?
adaptive immunity
-specific (“lock and key”)
-3rd line of defense
-Cell Types:
–lymphocytes
>B cells
>T cells (cytotoxic & helper)
–memory cells
–antibodies (immunoglobulins)
Is innate immunity specific or nonspecific? What are the lines of defense that make up innate immunity and barriers for each line?
Innate Immunity
nonspecific
1st line of defense: physical barriers and chemical barriers
2nd line of defense: inflammation and complement system
Out of all of the white blood cells, which type makes up the adaptive immunity? Do these WBCs look for general patterns or specific antigens?
adaptive immunity
made of lymphocytes (B cells, Helper T cells, Cytotoxic T cells)
specific defenses against pathogens
What 3 things do tears and saliva have in common?
contain lysozymes (innate immunity)
IgA antibodies (adaptive immunity)
chemical barrier
So, tears & saliva contains aspects of both innate & adaptive immunity
What are cilia and how does it function as part of the innate immunity?
Cilium (singular)- a hairlike structure found in large numbers on cells OR on microrganisms; allows movement via beating (wavelike) motion
part of mucucilliary escalator system which helps remove pathogens & debri in lungs
physical barrier
What are defensins, what do they do, and what cells are they produced by?
amphipathic proteins (with a net (+) charge) that are attracted to (-) charges on phospholipid (cell) membranes of bacteria
function: punch holes in bacterial cell membranes (=kills bacteria)
produced by…
white blood cells
epithelial cells (in GI tract)
mammary glands
mucous membranes
What are two examples of antimicrobial protiens in the body?
defensins
lysozymes
Note: since these are antimicrobial proteins, both are chemcial barriers
What does the lacrimal apparatus produce and what does it protect? How does the lacrimal apparatus contribute to innate immunity?
protects the surface of the eyes by producing tears= flush out microbes
tears= have lysozymes (cut peptidoglycan = in cell wall)
What effect can prolonged antibiotic treatment do in the vagina and gut?
vagina: Candida Albicans (yeast- a type of fungus) can take over, causing a yeast infection.
gut (large intestine): C. Diff can overrun the intestines, causing pseudomembranous colitis (death of part of the gut).
These disease take over because Lactobacillus acidophillus (normal flora in vagina) and E. Coli (normal flora in gut) have been decreased from antibiotic use, allowing oportunisitic pathogens to take over and cause an infection.
What effect can prolonged treatment of antibiotics have on normal flora?
kill normal flora in the gut, skin, vagina, and other locations, allowing opportunisitc pathogens to take over.
Note: in chapter 3, you’ll learn how antibiotics kill the normal flora in the gut that make vitamin K. The lack of vitamin K will decrease clotting.
What effect does smoking have on the mucociliary escalator system?
Smoking can paralyze this system and destroy it
how: smoking can reduce the speed at which cilia beat and even kill cilia, weakening this innate immunity defense (since we are not propelling pathogens out to be expelled from the body.)
What is a bacteriocin? What are 3 examples?
a toxic protein produced by one bacteria that inhibits other bacteria of a similar strain
examples:
E. coli produces bacteriocins that inhibit salmonella, shigella, and C. diff (gut)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces pseudomonic acid to inhibit staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria
Lactobacillus acidophilus creates bacteriocins to inhibit Candida albicans
