4.1.1: Communicable Diseases: Humoral response Flashcards
What stimulates B cells in the humoral response?
T helper cells producing interleukins
What is the role of antibodies in the humoral response?
Involves binding to antigens
What are antibodies made up of?
Four polypeptide chains: two heavy and two light
What is the variable region of an antibody?
Binding site complementary in shape to antigens
What is the constant region of an antibody?
The part of the antibody that does not change
What is formed when an antigen binds to an antibody?
Antigen-antibody complex
What is agglutination?
Clumping together of pathogens
How do antibodies act as anti-toxins?
By binding to toxins and preventing them from entering cells
What is clonal selection?
Activated T helper cells binding to B cells with complementary antibodies
What is clonal expansion?
Rapid division of activated B cells by mitosis
What do plasma cells produce?
Antibodies specific in shape to the antigen
What is the primary immune response?
First encounter of the body with a pathogen and antigen
What do B memory cells do after infection?
Remain in the blood and rapidly produce antibodies upon reinfection
What is the function of antibodies acting as opsonins?
Marking antigens for phagocytosis
What happens during the secondary immune response?
B memory cells produce large amounts of antibodies rapidly
What is active immunity?
Rapid antibody production upon reinfection with the same pathogen
What type of cells destroy infected body cells?
Cytotoxic T cells
Fill in the blank: The _______ response can take days to develop after the first exposure to a pathogen.
primary immune
True or False: The primary immune response occurs before symptoms appear.
False
What is the role of macrophages in the immune response?
Phagocytize and digest pathogens
