Cells and Tissues of the Immune System Flashcards
What type of immunity do natrual killer cells participate in?
Innate immunity
What kind of cell is this?

Eosinophil;
Bi-lobed cells with bright pink cytoplasmic granules

Where are lymph cells most often exposed to bacteria, pathogens, and antigens?
Lymph node
What word can be used to describe the flow of lymph in reference to the body wall?
Stratified
Describe the path that long-lived circulating lymphocytes move in
- Leave blood venules to enter lymphatic organs and tissues for immune surveillance
- Re-enter circulation to go to other lymphatic tissues
- Pass through walls of vasculature in high endothelial venules in lymphatic tissues and organs (postcapillary)
Which artery enters the spleen?
Where does it enter the spleen?
What does the branches of this artery branch into?
Splenic artery
At hilum
Splenic artery branches branch into trabecular arteries then central arteries within the PALS
Describe the pathway for lymph flow through a node
- Cortical afferent lymphatics
- Subcapsular sinus
- Trabecular sinuses
- Medullary sinuses
- Efferent lymphatics exiting at hilum
Describe the structure of the thymus
Epithelioreticular cellsmake up the stroma of the thymus.Lymphoid stem cells from the bone marrow fill the spaces between the epithelioreticular cells. These will eventually become T-Cells
Shape: 2 lobes, numerous lobules that are folded, continuous arrangements of cortex and medulla parenchyma
- Trabeculae create a path for blood to enter the thymus
- Cortex (outer layer, basophillic)
- Medulla (inner, less intesnse staining than cortex)
- Thymic corpuscules aka Hassal’s corpuscules in the medulla

What are primary lymphoid tissues?
Primary lymphoid tissues are where white blood cells originate and develop.
Bone marrow and thymus
What are the major functions of T-Cells?
- Recognize protein antigens bound to MHC
- Activated T-Cells kill virus-infected cells, tumor cells, foreign cells (organ rejection)
(70% of circulating lymphocytes are T-Cells)
How does deep lymph in abdominal and lower posterior body wall get into the deep path?
Via lumbar lymphatic vessels that drain into aortic lymphatics
What are the functions of the lymphatic system?
- Recycle fluid from body tissues
- Re-circulate proteins that escape from blood capillaries
- Absorb emulsified fat from lacteals in intestinal villi
- Defense mechanism for the body
How do parasternal nodes drain into the intercostal lymphatics?
Upwards, not posteriorly
What is the structure of axillary nodes?
Five major groups forming a triangular cone pointing towards the neck
Apical and central nodes form core of triangle and are surrounded by anterior (pectoral), lateral, and posterior (subcapsular) nodes
What are the functions of the red pulp?
- Eliminates old/damaged RBCs
- Recycles iron
What is the primary route of lymphatic drainage of the breast?
Why is this the primary route?
Primary: To the axillary lymph nodes because the breast is a subcutaneous organ
Where would a macrophage first encounter an antigen in a lymph node?
Subcapsular sinus
What is the significance of MHC II?
MHC II is expressed on the cell surface of antigen-presenting cells.
Antigen-presenting cells engulf pathogens, digest their proteins, and then express their peptides in MHC II so that they can present them to T-Cells
What is a germinal center of a lymphatic nodule?
An area of dividing cells. Forms during an immune response
What are microglia?
Tissue-resident macrophages in the brain
What do B cells differentiate into?
- Plasma cells for humoral immunity (antibody production)
- Memory cells that can produce stronger antibody immune response w/ subsequent exposure to the same antigen
What is the function of lymph nodes?
Filter lymph to increase the chance of antigens encounter macrophages and lymphocytes invoking an immune response
Where in the spleen are aging red blood cells eliminated?
A. Splenic cords
B. White pulp
C. Trabeculae
D. Splenic sinuses
Splenic cords
(Splenic cords and sinuses make up red pulp, macrophages reside in splenic cords, all blood cells pass through the splenic cords and into the sinuses as the beginning of venous return, white pulp consists of periarterial lymphatic sheaths)
What type of immunity do T-Cells participate in?
Cell-mediated immunity
















