BIO exam 3 Flashcards
Innate Immunity
The body’s immediate defense mechanism against pathogens. It includes physical barriers like skin, mucous membranes, and cellular components such as macrophages and neutrophils.
Adaptive Immunity
A specific defense mechanism involving T and B lymphocytes that develop memory against specific pathogens, providing long-term protection.
Inflammation
The body’s response to injury or infection characterized by redness, swelling, heat, and pain. It aims to eliminate the cause and initiate tissue repair.
Lysozyme
An enzyme found in tears, saliva, and other bodily fluids that breaks down bacterial cell walls, providing protection against infections.
Defensins
Small proteins produced by various cells, including epithelial cells and phagocytes, involved in killing pathogens like bacteria, fungi, and viruses by disrupting their cell membranes.
Interferon (alpha, beta, gamma)
Signaling proteins released by infected cells to inhibit viral replication and enhance the immune response against viruses.
Complement
A group of proteins that enhance the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to clear microbes and damaged cells from an organism, involving various pathways.
Opsonins & Opsonization
Substances (like antibodies or complement proteins) that mark pathogens for phagocytosis, facilitating their engulfment by immune cells.
Zymogen
An inactive precursor of an enzyme that requires a biochemical change to become active, often involved in digestive processes or blood clotting.
Alternative, Classical, and Lectin (Complement pathways)
Different activation routes of the complement system that lead to the formation of the membrane attack complex, enhancing immune responses against pathogens
C3 (and C3B)
C3 is a central component of the complement system. When cleaved into C3a and C3b, C3b participates in opsonization and leads to the formation of the membrane attack complex.
Complement “Factors”
Various proteins (such as Factor D, Factor H, etc.) involved in the complement cascade, playing roles in activation, regulation, and amplification of the immune response.
Membrane Attack Complex
A group of complement proteins that form pores in the membranes of target cells, leading to cell lysis and destruction, often employed against pathogens.
Chemotaxis
The process where immune cells are attracted to the site of infection or tissue damage through chemical signals, guiding their movement.
Anaphylatoxins
Small complement proteins (like C3a, C4a, and C5a) that induce inflammatory responses, including mast cell degranulation and histamine release.
Serum
The liquid portion of blood without clotting factors or blood cells, containing antibodies, complement proteins, and other molecules essential for immune function.
Buffy coat
A thin layer of white blood cells and platelets that separates from the rest of the blood when centrifuged, containing various immune cells.
Leukocytes
White blood cells crucial for immune function, including granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils) and agranulocytes (lymphocytes, monocytes).
Lymphocytes
A type of white blood cell critical for adaptive immunity, including B cells, T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells.
Hematopoietic stem cell
A precursor cell found in the bone marrow capable of giving rise to all types of blood cells, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Myeloid
The lineage of blood cells that includes red blood cells, platelets, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and dendritic cells.
Granulocytes
White blood cells with granules in their cytoplasm, including neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils, involved in various immune responses.
Neutrophils (PMNs)
The most abundant type of white blood cell involved in phagocytosis of pathogens, particularly bacteria.
Eosinophils
White blood cells containing granules that are important in combating multicellular parasites and modulating allergic reactions.