Chapter 1 Flashcards
What did the term “immunity” mean HISTORICALLY?
Protection from infectious diseases.
What is the immune system?
The set of cells and molecules responsible for immunity.
What is an immune response?
It is the coordinated response of the immigration system to the introduction of foreign substances.
What are examples of foreign substances that could trigger an immune response?
• A component of a microbe (a virus’ nucleic acid)
• Macromolecules
• Small chemicals (e.g. toxins)
What is an antigen?
A foreign substance that induces an immune response.
What is immunology?
It is the study of the immune response and the immune system.
What are the types of immunity?
- Innate immunity (natural immunity)
- Adaptive immunity (acquired immunity)
What is the function of innate immunity?
It provides an early line of defense against microbes.
What are the components of innate immunity?
• Skin
• Lining of digestive and respiratory systems (epithelial surfaces)
• Phagocytic cells (neutrophils and natural killer cells)
• Blood proteins
• Cytokines
What are cytokines?
They are proteins that regulate cell activities and communication of the innate immunity.
True or false:
The innate immune response is SPECIFIC.
False. It is not specific and does not change after repeated exposure to foreign bodies.
When does adaptive immunity become active?
When the innate immunity fails to fight the antigen, it activates adaptive immunity.
What are the main properties of the adaptive immunity?
• Stimulated by exposure to antigen
• Increases with each exposure to a particular antigen
• Highly specific
• Has memory
What are the main components of adaptive immunity?
- Lymphocytes
- Antibodies
What are the types of adaptive immune responses?
- Humoral immunity
- Cell-mediated immunity (cellular immunity)
