16 November: Introduction to the Immune System

Question 1

Immune Defenses

Answer 1

Defense against toxins and pollutants

Question 2

What characteristics do immune defenses have?

Answer 2

• Recognition (“us vs. them”)
• Activation (“right soldiers + weapons called up”: appropriate immune cells and molecules are mobilized)
• Effector (Mobilized cells and molecules attempt elimination: “trying to stop foes, to alert others to help, , and eliminate enemies

Question 3

Innate Immunity

Answer 3

“Early alert system”: Alert for enemies, and to eliminate + hold in check

• Non-specific in response
• Rapid: Takes within minutes to hours

Question 4

Adaptive Immunity

Answer 4

Protective soldiers with experience + training, like the green beret or navy seals (has memory)

• Specific in response
• Takes three to five minutes to a week to respond, and is slower than innate immunity

Question 5

Two types of immune defenses

Answer 5

Innate + Adaptive

• Born with both, but takes time to fully adapt the adaptive immunity (lol)

Question 6

Primary immune system

Answer 6

Bone Marrow, Thymus gland

Question 7

Secondary immune system

Answer 7

Lymph nodes

Question 8

Leukocytes

Answer 8

White blood cells

Question 9

Lymphocytes

Answer 9

Red blood cells

Question 10

Three forms of immunity

Answer 10

• Physical barriers and spatial dimensions
• Chemical defenses + communication
• Cellular defenses

Question 11

Cytokines

Answer 11

Chemical signals for cell movement

Question 12

Interleukins

Answer 12

Chemical signals between white blood cells

Question 13

Chemokines

Answer 13

Attract white blood cells through chemo taxis (movement in response to a chemical

Question 14

Physical Barriers

Answer 14

• Skin
• Mucous membranes
• Epithelial cells

Question 15

Skin

Answer 15

Protective organ, needed to live.

Multiple layers of tightly packed cells that get shedded daily + takes bacteria along with it

Salty, and a decreased water availability creates a bad environment for bacterial to survive

Flexible and tough because of keratin and collagen

Question 16

Mucous membranes

Answer 16

Respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems

Super sticky material that traps bacteria, dust, and fungal spores

Question 17

Epithelial cells

Answer 17

Tightly packed like skin

Has a thin layer that constantly sheds (24-48 hours)

Moist (needs to stay well hydrated)

Question 18

Peristalsis

Answer 18

Movement of muscles in small intestine, moves feces

Question 19

Interferons

Answer 19

Proteins that protect from virally infected host cells + tells them to beware of infections

Question 20

What do interferons prevent?

Answer 20

Infection replication cycles

Question 21

Iron-binding proteins

Answer 21

Very limited, iron usually bound to proteins

Needs hemoglobin, lactoferrin and transferrin

Question 22

Complement

Answer 22

Series of proteins that help bring phagocytes to site of infection + triggers inflammation

Also causes holds in bacterial membrane

“Brings in soldiers”

Can grab onto microbes

Question 23

Antimicrobial peptides

Answer 23

20-50 amino acids, positively charged, mucus membrane, immune cells, neutrophil