2 Immune Cells And Organs Flashcards
Q: What is the process of lymphocyte production called?
A: LYMPHOPOIESIS
Q: What are lymphoid organs? What are they the site of?
A: Tissue in which lymphocytes interact with non-lymphoid cells.
Sites of initiation and maturation of adaptive immune response
Q: What are the primary lymphoid organs where T and B lymphocytes develop?
A: Thymus - T cell maturation
Bone Marrow - B cell maturation
Q: 3 secondary lymphoid organs.
A: Lymph nodes
Spleen (white pulp)
Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT)
Q: What are the precursors for B and T cells?
A: The precursors of both B and T cells come from haematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow
Q: Are defects in primary and secondary lymphoid organs dangerous? What can treat them?
A: A defect in the primary lymphoid organs is very serious because you won’t produce your own lymphocytes. This can only be treated with stem cell transplant.
We can manage without some of our secondary lymphoid organs
Q: Anatomically, where is the thymus?
A: below the thyroid gland
Q: What does the microscopic analysis of a stained section of thymus show?
A: shows lobules within the lobes which are packed with lymphocytes
Medulla (middle) - NOT very stained
Cortex (periphery) - VERY stained
Q: What is the thymus structure?
A: bi lobed
lobules within the lobes which are packed with lymphocytes
There are septa dividing the lobe into lobules.
It has a capsule
In human’s you get whirls of fibroblasts called HASSALL’S CORPUSCLES
Q: What are Hassall’s corpuscles?
A: where regulatory T lymphocytes develop.
Q: What is the role of regulatory T lymphocytes?
A: important role in helping regulate our immune responses.
Q: How does the thymus appearance change after stimulation by an antigen (infection)?
A: no obvious changes
Q: How does thymic output change with age? What happens?
A: reduced output of new T cells
The total number stays the same
LESS DIVERSE repertoire of T cells
More memory cells
They become OLIGOCLONAL - less diverse
more fatty tissue in the thymus - size of the thymus DECREASES
Q: What is the site of haematopoiesis? How does this differ between a foetus and adults?
A: bone marrow
Foetus - All bones + liver and spleen
Adults - mainly the ends of the long bones where you find most of the marrow - the marrow becomes less cellular compared to young age and is replaced with with more fat droplets
Q: What does red and yellow marrow produce?
A: RED MARROW - blood cells
YELLOW MARROW - fat
Q: Where are lymphocyte precursors made?
A: haematopoietic tissue (bone marrow)
Q: What happens to T cells in the thymus?
A: T-cells are ‘educated’ - learn how to recognise cells presenting the antigen in the thymus
Q: How do lymphocytes and APCs recirculate?
A: Lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells recirculate through lymphatic vessels: FROM tissues VIA lymph nodes and the spleen INTO the blood