CH. 11: Cytokines

Question 1

Explain pleiotropy of cytokines.

Answer 1

pleiotropy: ability of single cytokine to have multiple effects on different cell types of biological masses
- allows cytokines to be involved in various aspects of immune regulation, tissue repair, inflammation

Question 2

Explain redundancy of cytokines.

Answer 2

redundancy: multiple cytokines can produce similar effects on same target cells
- ensures critical immune functions can still occur even if certain pathways are disrupted

Question 3

Pro and con of cytokines.

Answer 3

pro: allows flexibility and regulation of immune system
con: may cause autoimmune diseases due to complexity

Question 4

cytokines may act (3):

Answer 4

• autocrine: locally
• paracrine: to nearby cells
• endocrine: systematically