Exam I Flashcards
Define vaccination.
any procedure of injecting immunogenic material into the body in order to induce immunity
Define chemotaxis.
movement towards a stimulus, particularly that movement displayed by phagocytic cells toward bacteria and sites of cell injury
Define immunology.
the study of reactions (immune response) of a host when foreign substances are introduced into the body
Define opsonin.
a substance in serum that promotes immune adherence and facilitates phagocytosis by the reticuloendothelial (RE) system
Define antibodies.
protein substances secreted by plasma cells developed in response to and specifically for an antigen
Define nonsusceptibility.
absolute protection against particular diseases associated with species characteristics
Define natural immunity.
ability of the individual to resist infection by means of normally present body functions
Define immunity.
the condition of being resistant to an infection
Define serology.
study of the noncellular portion of the blood known as serum
Define phagocytosis.
ingestion of microorganisms, other cells, and foreign particles by a phagocyte (leukocytes, macrophages, etc.)
Define antigen.
substance recognized by the body as being foreign, which can cause an immune response
Define active immunity and give an example.
active formation of specific antibody by the host induced by exposure to an infectious agent or to one of the agent’s antigens; usually the result of a natural infection or a vaccination
Define passive immunity and give an example.
results from injection of antibodies derived from another individual; it is more transient, lasting only a few weeks or months; can be acquired in utero from maternal circulation, post-partum via mother’s milk, and through IV immunoglobulin
Define adoptive immunity and give an example.
produced by transfer of antigen-sensitive lymphocytes from an actively immunized donor to an immunocompromised recipient
What are the four types of opsonins?
C-reactive protein (CRP), antibodies, complement components, mannose-binding protein (MBP)
Define lymphokines.
cytokines produced by lymphocytes; the end product of T-cell antigen recognition that regulates the function of other cells and tissues
What is an adjuvant?
substance administered with an antigen that increases the immune response by extending the period of antigen exposure
Define immune tolerance.
lack of an immune response or an active immunosuppressive response due to repeated exposure to the antigens
Where are T-cells modified and what type of immunity are they responsible for?
modified in the thymus, responsible for cellular immunity
Where are B-cells modified and what type of immunity are they responsible for?
modified in the bone marrow, responsible for humoral immunity
Which type of cell, T- or B-, is the predominant type of lymphocyte in the blood?
T-cells
What are the three types of T-cells?
T-effector (T-cytotoxic), T-helper (T-inducer), T-regulatoryt
Which cells differentiate into plasma cells and what do they secrete?
B-cells, secrete antibody
Describe primary immune response, including which immunoglobulins are produced.
primary antibody response on initial antigen encounter; IgM detected after 3-4 days
Describe secondary (anamnestic) response, including which immunoglobulins are produced.
occurs 1-2 weeks after exposure, period of time when IgM peaks, plateaus, and then begins to decrease; IgG is produced, and remains at a higher level for a longer period of time
What is the role of memory cells?
a special type of long-lived, rapidly-activated B-cells that carry immunological memory to a specific antigen, which provides long-term protection against that specific disease
Name the immunodeficiency disease in which a decrease of IgG results in a greater susceptibility to infection.
acquired agammaglobulinemia
Briefly describe what happens in multiple myeloma, including which immunoglobulin is overproduced.
consists of plasma cell tumors in the bone marrow that overproduce a single class of immunoglobulin; 50-60% of cases are IgG monoclonal gammopathy