5.1: Defence mechanisms Flashcards
The immune system
The immune system is a system of biological:
1. Structures
2. Processes
within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens (and tumour cells)
Pathogen
A pathogen is a disease-causing organism
Infection
An infection is an interaction between the:
- Pathogen
- Body’s various defence mechanisms
Immunity
Immunity is when the body’s defence is better prepared for that pathogen
Many pathogens cannot cause disease due to what?
Many pathogens cannot cause disease due to:
1. Non-specific barriers
2. Cellular defences
that prevent them from entering the body
Many pathogens cannot cause disease due to non-specific barriers (what barriers) and cellular defences that prevent them from entering the body?
Many pathogens cannot cause disease due to:
1. Non-specific barriers (physical and chemical barriers)
2. Cellular defences
that prevent them from entering the body
The main defence mechanisms of the body:
Defence mechanisms are what or what?
Defence mechanisms are:
1. Specific
Or,
2. Non-specific
The main defence mechanisms of the body:
Defence mechanisms are specific or non-specific.
With specific defence mechanisms, the response is what?
With specific defence mechanisms, the response is:
- Slower
- Specific to each pathogen
The main defence mechanisms of the body:
Defence mechanisms are specific or non-specific.
With non-specific defence mechanisms, the response is what?
With non-specific defence mechanisms, the response is:
- Immediate
- The same for all pathogens
The main defence mechanisms of the body:
Defence mechanisms are specific or non-specific.
With non-specific defence mechanisms, the response is immediate and the same for all pathogens.
What are the non-specific defence mechanisms of the body?
The non-specific defence mechanisms of the body are:
- Physical barriers
- Phagocytosis
The main defence mechanisms of the body:
Defence mechanisms are specific or non-specific.
With specific defence mechanisms, the response is slower and specific to each pathogen.
What are the specific defence mechanisms of the body?
The specific defence mechanisms of the body are the:
- Cell-mediated response - T lymphocytes
- Humoral response - B lymphocytes
What about when the defence mechanisms of the body fail?
Unfortunately, the defence mechanisms of the body aren’t perfect.
They can and do fail some of the time.
When this happens, what can microorganisms do?
When this happens, microorganisms can:
- Enter the bloodstream
- Cause an infection
An infection is an interaction between the pathogen and the body’s various defence mechanisms.
Sometimes the pathogen does what and the individual dies?
Sometimes the pathogen overwhelms the defences and the individual dies
An infection is an interaction between the pathogen and the body’s various defence mechanisms.
Sometimes the pathogen overwhelms the defences and the individual dies.
Sometimes the body’s defence mechanisms do what and the individual recovers from the disease?
Sometimes the body’s defence mechanisms overwhelm the pathogen and the individual recovers from the disease
An infection is an interaction between the pathogen and the body’s various defence mechanisms.
Sometimes the pathogen overwhelms the defences and the individual dies.
Sometimes the body’s defence mechanisms overwhelm the pathogen and the individual recovers from the disease.
Having overwhelmed the pathogen, however, the body’s defences seem to be better prepared for a second infection from the same pathogen and can kill it before it can cause any harm.
This is known as immunity and is the main reason why some people are unaffected by certain pathogens.
Much depends on the overall state of health of an individual.
A fit, healthy adult will rarely die to an infection.
Who are usually more vulnerable?
- Those in ill health
- The young
- The elderly
are usually more vulnerable
To defend the body from invasion by foreign material, lymphocytes must be able to do what?
To defend the body from invasion by foreign material, lymphocytes must be able to distinguish:
1. The body’s own cells and molecules (self)
from those
2. Molecules that are foreign (non-self)
To defend the body from invasion by foreign material, lymphocytes must be able to distinguish the body’s own cells and molecules (self) from those molecules that are foreign (non-self).
If they could not do this, what would the lymphocytes do?
If they could not do this, the lymphocytes would destroy the organism’s own tissues
To defend the body from invasion by foreign material, lymphocytes must be able to distinguish the body’s own cells and molecules (self) from those molecules that are foreign (non-self).
If they could not do this, the lymphocytes would destroy the organism’s own tissues.
Each type of cell, self or non-self, has specific molecules on its surface that do what?
Each type of cell: 1. Self Or, 2. Non-self ,has specific molecules on its surface that identify it
To defend the body from invasion by foreign material, lymphocytes must be able to distinguish the body’s own cells and molecules (self) from those molecules that are foreign (non-self).
If they could not do this, the lymphocytes would destroy the organism’s own tissues.
Each type of cell, self or non-self, has specific molecules on its surface that identify it.
While these molecules can be of a variety of types, it is the proteins that are the most important.
This is because proteins have enormous variety and what?
This is because proteins have:
- Enormous variety
- A highly specific tertiary structure
To defend the body from invasion by foreign material, lymphocytes must be able to distinguish the body’s own cells and molecules (self) from those molecules that are foreign (non-self).
If they could not do this, the lymphocytes would destroy the organism’s own tissues.
Each type of cell, self or non-self, has specific molecules on its surface that identify it.
While these molecules can be of a variety of types, it is the proteins that are the most important.
This is because proteins have enormous variety and a highly specific tertiary structure.
It is this variety of specific 3D structure that distinguishes one cell from another.
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify what?
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify:
- Pathogens
- Non-self material
- Toxins
- Abnormal body cells
Each type of cell, self or non-self, has specific molecules on its surface that identify it.
While these molecules can be of a variety of types, it is the proteins that are the most important.
This is because proteins have enormous variety and a highly specific tertiary structure.
It is this variety of specific 3D structure that distinguishes one cell from another.
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify pathogens, for example what, non-self material, toxins and abnormal body cells?
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify:
- Pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus
- Non-self material
- Toxins
- Abnormal body cells
Each type of cell, self or non-self, has specific molecules on its surface that identify it.
While these molecules can be of a variety of types, it is the proteins that are the most important.
This is because proteins have enormous variety and a highly specific tertiary structure.
It is this variety of specific 3D structure that distinguishes one cell from another.
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus, non-self material, such as what, toxins and abnormal body cells?
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify:
- Pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus
- Non-self material, such as cells from other organisms of the same species
- Toxins
- Abnormal body cells
Each type of cell, self or non-self, has specific molecules on its surface that identify it.
While these molecules can be of a variety of types, it is the proteins that are the most important.
This is because proteins have enormous variety and a highly specific tertiary structure.
It is this variety of specific 3D structure that distinguishes one cell from another.
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus, non-self material, such as cells from other organisms of the same species, toxins, including those produced by what, and abnormal body cells?
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify:
- Pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus
- Non-self material, such as cells from other organisms of the same species
- Toxins, including those produced by certain pathogens like the bacterium that causes cholera
- Abnormal body cells
Each type of cell, self or non-self, has specific molecules on its surface that identify it.
While these molecules can be of a variety of types, it is the proteins that are the most important.
This is because proteins have enormous variety and a highly specific tertiary structure.
It is this variety of specific 3D structure that distinguishes one cell from another.
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus, non-self material, such as cells from other organisms of the same species, toxins, including those produced by certain pathogens like the bacterium that causes cholera, and abnormal body cells, such as what?
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify:
- Pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus
- Non-self material, such as cells from other organisms of the same species
- Toxins, including those produced by certain pathogens like the bacterium that causes cholera
- Abnormal body cells, such as cancer cells
Each type of cell, self or non-self, has specific molecules on its surface that identify it.
While these molecules can be of a variety of types, it is the proteins that are the most important.
This is because proteins have enormous variety and a highly specific tertiary structure.
It is this variety of specific 3D structure that distinguishes one cell from another.
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus, non-self material, such as cells from other organisms of the same species, toxins, including those produced by certain pathogens like the bacterium that causes cholera, and abnormal body cells, such as cancer cells.
All of the above are potentially harmful and their identification is the first stage in removing what?
All of the above are potentially harmful and their identification is the first stage in removing the threat they pose
Each type of cell, self or non-self, has specific molecules on its surface that identify it.
While these molecules can be of a variety of types, it is the proteins that are the most important.
This is because proteins have enormous variety and a highly specific tertiary structure.
It is this variety of specific 3D structure that distinguishes one cell from another.
It is these protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus, non-self material, such as cells from other organisms of the same species, toxins, including those produced by certain pathogens like the bacterium that causes cholera, and abnormal body cells, such as cancer cells.
All of the above are potentially harmful and their identification is the first stage in removing the threat they pose.
Although this response is clearly advantageous to the organism, it has implications for humans who have had tissue or organ transplants.
The immune system recognises these as non-self, even though they have come from individuals of the same what?
The immune system recognises these as non-self, even though they have come from individuals of the same species
It is the protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus, non-self material, such as cells from other organisms of the same species, toxins, including those produced by certain pathogens like the bacterium that causes cholera, and abnormal body cells, such as cancer cells.
All of the above are potentially harmful and their identification is the first stage in removing the threat they pose.
Although this response is clearly advantageous to the organism, it has implications for humans who have had tissue or organ transplants.
The immune system recognises these as non-self, even though they have come from individuals of the same species.
The immune system therefore attempts to do what?
The immune system therefore attempts to destroy the transplant
It is the protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus, non-self material, such as cells from other organisms of the same species, toxins, including those produced by certain pathogens like the bacterium that causes cholera, and abnormal body cells, such as cancer cells.
All of the above are potentially harmful and their identification is the first stage in removing the threat they pose.
Although this response is clearly advantageous to the organism, it has implications for humans who have had tissue or organ transplants.
The immune system recognises these as non-self, even though they have come from individuals of the same species.
The immune system therefore attempts to destroy the transplant.
To minimise the effect of this tissue rejection, donor tissues for transplant are normally what?
To minimise the effect of this tissue rejection, donor tissues for transplant are normally matched as closely as possible to those of the recipient
It is the protein molecules which usually allow the immune system to identify pathogens, for example the human immunodeficiency virus, non-self material, such as cells from other organisms of the same species, toxins, including those produced by certain pathogens like the bacterium that causes cholera, and abnormal body cells, such as cancer cells.
All of the above are potentially harmful and their identification is the first stage in removing the threat they pose.
Although this response is clearly advantageous to the organism, it has implications for humans who have had tissue or organ transplants.
The immune system recognises these as non-self, even though they have come from individuals of the same species.
The immune system therefore attempts to destroy the transplant.
To minimise the effect of this tissue rejection, donor tissues for transplant are normally matched as closely as possible to those of the recipient.
The best matches often come from who?
The best matches often come from relatives that are genetically close