Foundations in Immunology 1 Flashcards by Vinci Jan

What are pathogens?

Any microorganism that causes harm

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What are examples of pathogens?

Virus

Protozoa

Bacteria

Fungi

Parasite

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What is self tolerence?

The bodies immune defences not attacking tissue that carry a self marker

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What is the first form of immunological defence?

Physical barriers

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What are examples of physical barriers?

Skin

Mucosal barrier (reproductory, respiratory, digestive tract)

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What produces mucus?

Goblet cells

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What does mucus do?

Prevents the attachment of pathogens

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What does mucus contain?

Antimicrobial enzymes that destroy pathogens

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What are examples of the enzyme contained in mucus that destroys pathogens?

Growth inhibitors

Enzyme inhibitors

Lysine

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What does mucus contain other than enzymes?

Immunoglobins (Ab) which help to destroy pathogens

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What are the two components of the immune system?

Innate immune system

Adaptive immune system

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What are some properties of the innate immune system?

Exists from birth

Non specific

First to respond

Same response every time, no immunological memory

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What are some properties of the adaptive immune system?

Highly specific

Immunological memory

Antibody production

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When is the adaptive immune system called?

When the innate immune system cannot deal with the threat on its own

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What is the cellular and chemical barrier of the innate immune system?

Skin

Mucosal epithelia

Antimicrobial chemicals

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What is the blood protein of the innate immune system?

Compliment

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What cells are involved in the innate immune system?

Phagocytes (macrophages, neutrophils)

Natural killer cells

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What are the cellular and chemical barriers of the adaptive immune system?

Lymphocytes

Antobodies secretion

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What is the blood protein of the adaptive immune system?

Antibodies

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What cells are involved in the adaptive immune system?

Lymphocytes

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How does the innate and adaptive immune system work together?

Dendritic cells mature and carries microbial antigen to local lymph node (innate)
Becoming an antigen presenting cell (innate)
Activates T cells to respond (adaptive)
T cells go to the site of infection (adaptive)

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What does the innate immune system cause an influx of at the site of infection?

Macrophages which perform phagocytosis

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What is the process of phagocytosis?

Engulfs bacterium
Forming a phagosome
Fuses with a lysosome which contains enzymes that kill the bacteria
Discharge of waste material

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Where do immune cells develop?

Bone marow

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What are the 4 effector T cells?

T_h₁ T_h2 T_h12 T_fh

What does T_h1 target?

Marcrophages

What does T_h2 target?

Eosinophils

What does T_h12 target?

Neutrophils

What does T_fh target?

B cells

What do effector T cells do to their targets?

Activate their targets

What is the relationship between manocytes and macrophages?

Manocytes are in the blood, once they enter connective tissue they differentiate into macrophages

What do macrophases do?

Give of chemical messanges which: Restrict blood flow away from the site Cause swelling to allow more immune cells to help Produce cytokines to alert other cells and induce travel to the site

What do neutrophiles do?

Only perform phagocytosis, being activated when they enter the tissue

How long do neutrophils survive for in the blood and in the tissue?

6 hours in the blood 5 days in the tissue

What happens at the end of a neutrophils life?

They undergo apoptosis

What do eosinophiles do?

Combat pathogens with granules of enzymes

What kind of infection do eosinophiles usually combat?

Parasitic

What kind of immune cells controls the mechanisms associated with asthma and allergies?

Eosinophile

Where are eusinophiles found?

Thymus Lower GI tract Spleen Ovary Uteris Lymph node

Where are eusinophiles not found?

Lungs Skin Esophagus

What do mast cells do?

Contain granules which have active chemicals that it dumps into the parasit and kills it

What could mast cells cause to the host?

An allergic reaction

What is the function of barophil?

Unknown, but they are found in parasitic infection They contains granules of histamine

What are the two ways natural killer cells can kill?

Make hole in target and secrete enzymes into pore inducing suicide Interact with Fas on the target cells creating a suicide signal

Where are natural killer cells found?

In the spleen and the bloodstream

What can natural killer cells kill?

Tumour cells Virus infected cells Bacteria Parasites Fungi

How do natural killer cells decide to kill or not?

By binding to inhibitory (MHC1) receptor or activating receptor

What inhibitory receptor tells natural killer cells not to kill?

MHC 1

Can natural killer cells kill viruses?

No, they replicate to quickly for natural killer cells to keep up

What are some non-specific humoral factors within body fluids with protective functions?

Growth inhibitors Enzyme inhibitors Lysins Compliment protein

What does the compliment system bridge the gap between?

The innate and adaptive immune systems

How many proteins is the compliment system composed of?

Over 20

What are the 3 activation pathways of the compliment system?

Classical Alternative Lectin

Which of the 3 compliment mechanisms are innate and adaptive?

Alternative and lectin are effecter mechanisms of the innate system and classical is of the adaptive immune system

What is the process of the compliment system?

1. Binding of compliment protein to microbial cells or antibody 2. Formation of C₃ complex 3. Cleavage of C₃ 4. Formation of C₅ convertase

What is the central event in the compliment pathway?

Proteolysis of protein C₃ which is the most abundent compliment protein

What are the safeguards in place to stop the compliment system from attacking our own cells?

Protein on surface of cells Decay Accerleration Factor (DAF) accerlerates the breakdown of C3bBb C3b clipped to an inactive form by protein in the blood

What are functions of the compliment system?

Induce lysis of microbes (MAC) Promotes phagocystosis of microbes (opsonisation) Stimulates inflammation (activates amst cells and neutrophils) Stimulates attraction of B cells and antibody production

What are cytokines?

Chemical messengers used by cells to communicate with other cells

What are the different kinds of cytokine actions?

Autocine (on self) Paracrine (nearby cells) Endocrine (distant cells)

When does the inflammatory response happen?

When tissues are injured

Why does the inflammatory response happen?

Damaged cells release chemicals that cause blood veseels to leak into tissues

What are the classifications of the inflammatory response?

Acute inflammation Chronic inflammation

What is acute inflammation?

Initial response to harmful stimuli

What is chronic inflammation?

Progressive shift in type of cells at site of inflammation, simutanous destruction and healing of tissue