Disease Flashcards
What are antibodies?
Y-Shaped glycoproteins made by B cells of the immune system in response to the presence of an antigen
What is a specific immune response?
The immune system 'remembers' an antigen after an initial response leading to an enhanced response to subsequent encounters
What shape are
antibodies?
Y shaped
Where do T-cells mature
Thymus gland
Where do B-cells
mature
bone marrow
What is the function of B plasma cells?
To produce antibodies
How does the
sequence of amino
acids affect an
antibody?
The sequence of amino acids determines the shape of the variable region (sequence of amino acids) and so which antigen is detected
How many
polypeptide chains
does an antibody
contain?
4
What type of
molecule is an
antibody?
protein
What is the
relationship between
the two light chains of
antibodies?
They are identical
What is the
relationship between
the two heavy chains
of antibodies?
They are identical
What sort of proteins are antibodies?
Globular.
How many binding
sites are there on an
antibody?
Where are they?
3
Two antigen binding sites
One receptor site that allows the body to recognise the antibody as self
How are all antibodies similar?
They share the same common region
What type of bonding
occurs between the
heavy and light
strands in antibodies?
disulfide
How are the heavy
strands attached in
antibodies?
Disulfide bonds
How many light
strands are in an
antibody?
2
How many heavy strands in an antibody
2
What is the
relationship between
the variable region
and the antigen?
They have
complementary
shapes
What allows for
sulfide bonding?
The amino
acid cysteine
Why do antibodies
have a hinge?
Allows antibodies to flex slightly and accommodate differently sized antigens
What is the difference
between the light and
heavy chains of an
antibody?
The light chains are
much shorter than the
heavy chains
How many amino
acids form a binding
site?
110
What is formed when
an antibody binds to
an antigen?
An antigen-
antibody complex
-Act as opsonins
How do antibodies
defend the body? (4
reasons)
-Act as opsonins so the antigen is 'tagged' and easily engulfed -Act as antitoxins, binding to toxins produced by pathogens to render them harmless -Cause agglutination (clumping together) of pathogens which have antigen- antibody complexes, preventing them from spreading through the body and makes it easier for phagocytes to engulf several pathogens at once -Prevents pathogens from effectively invading a host
Name the 4 types of
T cells
- Killer T cells
- Helper T cells
- Memory T cells
- Regulator T cells
Name the 3 types of
B cells
- B Plasma cells
- B effector cells
- B memory cells
What are agglutinins?
Chemicals that cause pathogens to clump together so they are easier for phagocytes to engulf and digest
What are cytokines?
Cell-signalling molecules that are produced in damaged tissues that attract phagocytes to the site of infection/ inflammation
Where are cytokines
produced?
Mast cells
What is inflammation?
Biological response of vascular tissues to pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants resulting in pain, heat, redness, and swelling
What are antitoxins?
Chemicals that bind
to toxins (produced
by pathogens)
What are histamines?
Chemicals that make
blood vessels dilate
and the blood vessel
walls leaky
Where are histamines
produced?
mast cells
What are interleukins?
A type of cytokine
produced by helper T
cells
What are autoimmune
diseases?
Diseases that are the result of abnormal immune responses that attack normally present tissues
What are B
lymphocytes?
Lymphocytes which mature in the bone marrow and that are involved in the production of antibodies
What are lysosomes?
Specialised vesicles containing hydrolytic enzymes for the breakdown of waste materials within a cell
What are B
effector cells?
B lymphocytes that
divide to form plasma
cell clones
What are killer T cells?
T lymphocytes that
destroy pathogens
carrying a specific
antigen with perforin
What are antigen-
antibody complexes?
The complex formed
when an antibody
binds to an antigen
What are T
regulator cells?
T lymphocytes that suppress and control the immune system, stopping the response once a pathogen has been destroyed and preventing an autoimmune response
What are
lymphocytes?
White blood cells that
make up the specific
immune system
What are antigen-
presenting cells?
A cell that displays foreign antigens complexed with major histocompatibility complexes on their surfaces
What are
Phagosomes?
The vesicle in which a
pathogen or damaged
cell is engulfed by a
phagocyte
What are T
lymphocytes?
Lymphocytes which mature in the thymus gland and that both stimulate the B lymphocytes and directly kill pathogens
