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Biology AS > 12.6 The Specific Immune System > Flashcards

12.6 The Specific Immune System Flashcards

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1
Q

Introduction to ‘The Specific Immune System’.

A
  • All cells have antigens on their surface

* Body can differentiate between self-antigens, on your cells, and non-self antigens, on pathogen cells

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2
Q

What do antigens do?

A

Trigger an immune response, involving production of polypeptides called antibodies

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3
Q

How does the specific immune system compare to the non-specific responses?

A

The specific immune system is slower - can take 2 weeks to respond to pathogens.
However, immune memory cells react rapidly to a second invasion of the same pathogen.

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4
Q

What are antibodies?

A

Y-shaped glycoproteins called immunoglobulins.

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5
Q

What do antibodies do?

A

Bind to specific antigens on pathogens/toxins which triggered the immune response.

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6
Q

What is the relationship between antigens and antibodies?

A

There’s a specific antibody for each antigen.

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7
Q

What is the structure of antibodies?

A

Made up of 4 chains:
2 long polypeptide chains = heavy chains
2 short polypeptide chains = light chains

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8
Q

What are the chains making up an antibody held together by?

A

Disulfide bridges.

*disulfide bridges are also present within the chains, keeping their shape the same

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9
Q

How do antibodies bind to antigens?

A

Through a lock-and-key mechanism, similar to how an enzyme’s active site binds to complementary substrate.

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10
Q

What is the antigen’s binding site?

A

An area of 110 amino acids on both heavy + light chains, known as the variable region.

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11
Q

What gives an antibody its specificity to an antigen?

A

The shape of the variable region.

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12
Q

What is the constant region of an antibody?

A

The rest of the antibody which doesn’t change shape.

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13
Q

What is the name of the product formed after an antibody binds to an antigen?

A

Antigen-antibody complex

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14
Q

What are the 4 ways in which antibodies defend the body?

A
  1. Antibody of A-AC acts as opsonin - complex is easily engulfed and digested
  2. Once pathogens are part of the A-AC, they can no longer invade host cells
  3. Antibodies act as agglutinins - cause pathogens carrying A-AC to clump together:
    = Easier for phagocytes to engulf many pathogens at one time
    = Prevents them from spreading even more throughout the body
  4. Antibodies act as anti-toxins, binding to toxins produced by pathogens and neutralizing them
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15
Q

What 2 types of white blood cells make up the specific immune system?

A

B-lymphocytes

T-lymphocytes

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16
Q

Where are B-lymphocytes produced?

A

Bone marrow

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17
Q

Where are T-lymphocytes produced?

A

Thymus gland

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18
Q

What are the 4 main types of T-lymphocytes?

A

T-helper cells
T-killer cells
T-memory cells
T-regulator cells

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19
Q

What is the structure and function of the structure of T helper cells?

A

CD4 receptors on plasma membrane, which bind to surface antigens on APCs.

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20
Q

What do T helper cells produce?

A

Interleukins, a type of cytokine.

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21
Q

What are the 3 functions of the interleukins produced by T helper cells?

A
  1. Stimulate activity of B cells. This increases antibody production.
  2. Stimulates production of other T cells
  3. Stimulates macrophages to ingest pathogens with the Antigen-Antibody Complexes
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22
Q

What is the function of T killer cells?

A

To destroy pathogens carrying the antigen

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23
Q

What chemical do T killers produce? What is the function of this chemical?

A

Perforin - Kills pathogen, by making holes in cell membrane making it freely permeable

24
Q

What are T-memory cells a part of?

A

Immunological memory.

25
Q

What happens when T memory cells meet an antigen for the second time?

A

They divide rapidly to produce huge amounts of clones of T killer cells that destroy the pathogen

26
Q

What do T regulator cells do?

A

Suppress the immune system as they control and manipulate it.
Stop immune response after pathogen is destroyed.
Ensure the body recognizes self-antigens and doesn’t trigger an autoimmune response (interleukins play an important role in this control)

27
Q

What are the 3 main types of B-lymphocytes?

A

Plasma cells
B effector cells
B memory cells

28
Q

What is the function of plasma cells?

A

Produce antibodies for a particular antigen and release them into the circulation

29
Q

How long do plasma cells live?

A

A few days

30
Q

While a plasma cell is alive and active, what is the rate at which it produces antibodies?

A

2000 antibodies/s

31
Q

What is the function of B effector cells?

A

Divide to form plasma cell clones

32
Q

What is the function of B memory cells?

A

Live for a long time and provide immunological memory.
They remember a specific antigen and enable the body to rapidly respond the next time a pathogen carrying the antigen appears

33
Q

What happens in cell-mediated immunity?

A

T lymphocytes respond to cells of an organism that have changed in some way, e.g. a virus infection, through antigen processing or mutation (cancer cells) and to cells from transplanted tissue.

34
Q

What are the 2 main stages of the cell mediated response?

A
  1. In non-specific defence system, macrophages engulf + digest pathogens during phagocytosis.
    They process antigens from pathogen’s cell surface to form APCs, Antigen-Presenting Cells
  2. Receptors on T helpers fit the antigens. These T helpers become activated and produce interleukins, which stimulate T cells to divide rapidly through mitosis. They form clones of identical activated T helpers that carry the specific antigen to bind to a pathogen.
35
Q

In the cell mediated immunity response, what 4 things can the cloned T cells do?

A
  1. Develop into T memory cells, producing a rapid response when pathogen present for the second time
  2. Produce interleukins that stimulate phagocytosis
  3. Produce interleukins that stimulate B cells to divide
  4. Develop into T killer cells and destroy infected cells
36
Q

What happens in humoral immunity?

A

Body responds to antigens found outside of cells (bacterial, fungal etc) and to APCs.

37
Q

What does the humoral immune system produce?

A

Antibodies soluble in blood and tissue fluid and aren’t attached to cells

38
Q

What do B-lymphocytes have on their cell-surface membranes?

A

Antobidies

39
Q

How many types of B-lymphocytes are there? What’s special about them

A

Millions. Each B-lymphocyte has a different antibody

40
Q

How do B-lymphocytes react when a pathogen enters the body?

A

A specific B cell with a complementary antibody will bind to it, engulf it and the antigen becomes an APC

41
Q

What are the 5 stages of Humoral Immunity?

A
  1. Activated T helpers bind to B cell APC.
    This is called clonal selection: point at which B cell w/ correct antibody to destroy pathogen is selected for cloning
  2. Interleukins produced by activated T helpers activate the B cells
  3. Activated B cells divide by mitosis to form clones of plasma cells and B memory cells. This is Clonal Expansion
  4. Cloned plasma cells that produce antibodies that fit antigens on pathogen’s surface bind to antigens and disable them or act as opsonins/agglutinins.
    - This is the primary immune response (can take days to weeks to become fully effective against pathogens.
  5. Some cloned B cells develop into B memory cells.
42
Q

In relation to humoral immunity, why do we get ill?

A

The symptoms are the result of pathogens dividing inside our body before the primary response kicks in

43
Q

What happens if the same pathogen enters the body for the second time?

A

B memory cells divide to rapidly form plasma cell clones.

44
Q

When a pathogen enters the body for the second time, what is the function of B memory cells rapidly dividing to form plasma cell clones?

A

Cloned plasma cells produce the right antibodies and destroy a pathogen quickly before symptoms of a disease show. This is the secondary immune response.

45
Q

What is an ‘Autoimmune Disease’?

A

Occurs when the immune system stops recognising self cells and starts attacking healthy body tissue

46
Q

What are some of the causes for the autoimmune disease?

A
  1. Genetic tendency in families
  2. Immune system reacts abnormally to a mild pathogen
  3. T regulators stop working effectively
47
Q

What is the function of immunosuppressants?

A

Used as treatment against autoimmune disease - they prevent the immune system working.

48
Q

What is the down side to immunosuppressant drugs?

A

They deprive the body of natural defences against communicable diseases

49
Q

What are the 3 common autoimmune diseases?

A
  1. Type 1 diabetes
  2. Rheumatoid arthritis
  3. Lupus
50
Q

What body part does type 1 diabetes affect?

A

Insulin-secreting cells of pancreas

51
Q

What treatments are there for type 1 diabetes?

A
  • Insulin injections
  • Pancreas transplants
  • Immunosuppressants
52
Q

What body parts does rehumatoid arthritis affect?

A

Joints - mainly in hands, wrists, ankles and feet

53
Q

Can rheumatoid arthritis be cured? If not, what can be used to ease the symptoms?

A 
NO CURE
• Anti-inflammatory drugs
• Steroids
• Immunosuppressants
• Pain relief
54
Q

What body parts does lupus affect?

A

Often skin and joints - causes fatigue

• Can attack any organ in the body, including kidneys, liver, lungs or brain

55
Q

Can lupus be cured? If not, what can be used to ease the symptoms?

A

NO CURE

  • Anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Steroids
  • Immunosuppressants

Biology AS (148 decks)

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