Anatomy Of The Immune System Flashcards
What is the difference between a WBC count and a differential?
WBC count is the total number of WBC/leukocytes
Differential is the amount of neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, as percentage of the total
What is the most common leukocyte in peripheral blood?
neutrophil
For normal blood cell counts, list the WBCs from most to least in the peripheral blood?
- Neutrophil
- Lymphocytes (T, B, NK)
- Monocytes
- Eosinophils
- Basophils
The pluripotent hempatopoeitic cell can derive into two lineages. What are they?
- Common lymphoid progenitor
2. Common myeloid progenitor
What two lineages does the common myeloid progenitor divide into?
- Granulocyte/macrophage lineage
2. Megakaryocyte/erythrocyte lineage
What are the five cells that enter the blood from the granulocyte lineage?
Neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, mast cell-precursors, monocytes
When they reach tissue, what do monocytes differentiate into?
resident macrophages
What do megakaryocytes make and release to the the blood?
Platelets
What are the three lineage of the common lymphoid progenitor?
- B cell
- T cell
- NK cell
To what lineage does the dendritic cell arise?
unsure, but probably myeloid because it is part of the innate immune system and helps to activate the acquired immune system by presenting antigen in lymph nodes.
What are the two key functions of cells in the macrophage/monocyte lineage?
- engulf and digest diverse materials
2. process and present antigens to adaptive immune system lymphocytes
Where are monocytes and macrophages located?
Monocyte are located in the blood. Macrophages are located in tissues: 1. Kupffer cells in the liver 2. alveolar macrophages in the lungs 3. splenic macrophages 4. peritoneal macrophages in the GI 5. Microglia in the brain
When they come into contact with cytokines, what do cells in the monocyte/macrophage lineage trainsition into?
APCs
What is the major activated function of :
- neutrophil
- eosinophil
- basophil
- mast cell
- Phagocytize and activate bacteriacidal mechanisms
- Kill antibody-coated parasites
- ??
- Release histamine–> inflammatory response
What type of dendritic cell is present in skin?
Langerhan’s cells
Where are immature dendritic cells located?
How do they “sample” the local area for pathogens?
Immature dendritic cells are located in the blood circulation and tissues.
They use macropinocytosis to take in a large amount of extracellular fluid to sample for PAMPs.
When do immature dendritic cells mature?
What two major functions do mature dendritic cells perform?
When they come into contact with a PAMP.
- They secrete cytokines to activate innate and acquired immune systems.
- They express surface molecules to activate naive T lymphocytes.
How long do Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) persist in the body?
What happens to them during immune response?
very short-lived (just a few days)
They increase in number during immune responses
What is the presumed function of the mast cell?
It is involved in immune response against parasitic worms and involved in allergic reactions by releasing histamine
Which lymphoid cells have a more stable repertoire of naive cells (B or T)?
T cells in the thymus are more constant than B cells in the bone marrow. T cells have a long life span and B cells have a short life span
Why must T-cells have a longer life span than B cells?
T cells differentiate in the thymus (2ndary lymphoid organ) and the thymus decreases with age so the cells must be able to persist.
B cells differentiate in bone marrow which doesnt deplete
How long do B cells typically persist in blood circulation?
5-7 days. They will either see an antigen or go through apoptosis
What is the role of the primary lymphoid organs?
It is where the lymphocyte first expresses antigen receptors and attains phenotypic and functional maturity
What is the role of the secondary lymphoid organs?
Where lymphocytes respond to foreign antigens
What is the primary lymphoid organ for B cells? T cells?
B cells - bone marrow
T cells - thymus
What early events of B cell maturation occur in the bone marrow?
They are tested to see if they react to self antigens. If they don’t, they are released to circulation.
What is the general structure of the thymus?
It is a bilobed organ in the anterior mediastinum.
Each lobe is broken into multiple lobules with cortex surrounding an inner medulla.
Where do T cell precursors reside in the thymus?
In the outer cortex and as they mature, they move in toward the medulla
How many lymphocytes will have a receptor to recognize a particular antigen?
1 in 10^5 which shows that selective recruitment is crucial (and which is why lymphocytes need to be constantly circulating)
What are the three major stages of clonal selection of B and T cells and where do they take place?
- Cognitive phase - lymph nodes/spleen
- Activation phase- lymph nodes/spleen
- Effector phase- periphery
What happens during the cognitive phase of clonal selection of T and B cells?
The naive B or T cell recognizes and antigen
What happens during the activation phase of clonal selection of B and T cells?
The cell that recognized the antigen proliferates and differentiates
What happens during the effector phase of clonal selection of B and T cells?
All the differentiated cells enter the periphery and become effector cells to attack the infection or memory cells for future response to infection
Where do lymphatic vessels drain?
Into the subcapsular sinuses of lymph nodes
What is the major function of the lymphatic system?
What is the draw back of the systme?
It brings APCs and dendritic cells into contact with naive lymphoid cells so they can recognize potential pathogens.
The drawback is that they could serve as channels for metastatic spread of cancer
Where are B cells located in lymph nodes?
Where are T cells located?
B cells- follicles in the cortex
T cells- paracortex
What are the three layers of a lymph node?
capsule, cortex, medulla