4. Innate Immunity Flashcards
What are the characteristics of innate immunity?
- Fast
- Lack specificity
- No memory
- No change in intensity
What are the characteristics of adaptive immunity?
- Slow
- Specific
- Immunological memory
- Changes in intensity
What are the first lines of defence of innate immunity?
- Physical barriers
- Physiological barriers
- Chemical barriers
- Biological barriers
What are some examples of physical barriers?
Skin
Mucous membranes
Bronchial cilia
What are some examples of physiological barriers?
Diarrhoea - food poisoning
Vomiting - food poisoning
Coughing - pneumonia
Sneezing
What are some examples of chemical barriers?
Low pH - skin, stomach and vagina
Antimicrobial molecules - IgA, mucus, mucus, lysozyme
What are some examples of biological barriers?
Normal flora
What are the benefits of normal flora?
Competes with pathogens for attachment sites and resources
Produces antimicrobial chemicals
Synthesise vitamins - K, B12
Bilirubin metabolism
What natural flora is present on the skin?
Staph aureus
Staph epidermiditis
Strep pyogenes
Clostridium perfringens
What natural flora is in the nasopharynx?
Strep pneumoniae
Neisseria meningitidis
Haemophilus influenzae
What are the second lines of defence within the innate immune system?
Phagocytes
Chemicals - complement system and cytokines
What are the main phagocytes?
Macrophages
Monocytes (blood)
Neutrophils
What is a commonly used PRR?
Toll-like receptor
What are some examples of PAMPs?
LPS on gram negative
Peptidoglycan on gram positive
What molecules act as opsonins.
C3b
CRP
IgG
Mannose-binding lectin
