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Foundation of Medicine (Year 1) > Foundations in immunology > Flashcards

Foundations in immunology Flashcards

1
Q

What is a pathogen?

A

Any microorganism that causes harm

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2
Q

What is immunity?

A

Having protection from infectious diseases.

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3
Q

List different external barriers.

A
  • skin
  • mucus
  • sweat
  • tears
  • saliva
  • stomach
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4
Q

What are the 3 main points of innate immune response?

A
  • Distinguishes between human cells and pathogens, but not between different types of pathogen
  • Fast and immediate: first to come into play
  • No memory: will produce the same response
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5
Q

What are the 3 main points of adaptive immune response?

A
  • Distinguishes between different pathogens based on shapes on the surface —> called antigens
  • Slower: can take a few days to develop
  • Immunological memory: memory cells remember
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6
Q

What are phagocytes?

A

Cells of the immune system that track down, engulf and destroy bacteria, other pathogens as well as own damaged or dead cells

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7
Q

What are neutrophils?

A
  • Most abundant WBC’s (8x10^6/ml ~ 50-60%)
  • Track down, engulf and destroy pathogens
  • They contain granules that are filled with many destructive enzymes such as peroxidases, alkaline and acid phosphates (that kill and destroy bacteria and other pathogens)
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8
Q

What are monocytes/macrophages?

A

Monocytes —> ~5% of WBCs, larger that neutrophils
—> Can engulf much more

Macrophages —> Break down pathogens, process specific components of these pathogens called antigens
—> Present these processed antigens to the cells of the adaptive immunity to produce specific immune response in the form of Ab and cytotoxic t cells
—> Antigen Presenting Cells (APCs)

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9
Q

Put these steps of phagocytosis in the correct order:

A - Discharge of waste materials
B - Fusion of phagosome with lysosome
C - Movement of the phagocyte toward the microbe
D - Killing of microbe through digestion by enzymes
E - Endocytosis of microbes and formation of phagosome
F - Attachment of microbes to phagocyte surface

A

C, F, E, B, D, A

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10
Q

What is an eosinophil?

A
  • Help combat parasitic infections
  • Involved in allergy and asthma
  • Granules contain many enzymes
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11
Q

What is the basic role of mast cells?

A
  • Type of WBCs that have granules that contain substances that are toxic to parasites and host tissues
  • Have receptors on their surface specific to IgE antibodies and can bind to them
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12
Q

What is a basophil?

A
  • Least common of WBCs (less that 1%)
  • Contain large cytoplasmic granules with inflammatory mediators
  • No proven function
  • Found in parasitic infection
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13
Q

What are cytokines?

A
  • Small proteins secreted by both immune and some non immune cells in response to stimulus
  • They communicate with other cells
  • Bind to specific receptors on these cells producing signalling molecules that lead to many biological effects in these cells
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14
Q

What is humoral immunity?

A

Also know as antibody-mediated immunity, involves helper T cells and B cells

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15
Q

What is cellular immunity?

A

Involves phagocytes, cytotoxic T cells, cytokines and chemokines

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16
Q

Describe the production of lymphocytes.

A

The production one synthesis of T/B lymphocytes which usually takes place in the bone marrow.

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17
Q

Describe the maturation (training) of lymphocytes.

A

Acquirement of specific features or structures that enable them to recognise and interact with the pathogens.

TCRs (T cell receptors)
BCRs (B cell receptors)

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18
Q

Describe the activation of lymphocytes.

A

Reaction of lymphocytes with the pathogens to induce an immune response that is specific to that pathogen.

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19
Q

List the components of the lymphatic system.

A

Lymphatic vessels
Primary lymphatic organs —> bone marrow and thymus
Secondary lymphatic organs —> lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils

20
Q

What is the role of the lymphatic system?

A
  • Drainage of tissue
  • Absorption and transport of fatty acids and fats
  • Immunity
21
Q

What are the primary lymphoid organs responsible for?

A

Where blood cells are produced and receive their ‘early training’ - acquire ability to interact with antigens.

22
Q

What is hematopoiesis?

A

Formation of blood cells in bone marrow.

23
Q

What is the thymus responsible for and what does it consist of?

A

Thymus is responsible for T cell ‘education’.

Consists of: Cortex - mature T lymphocytes
Medulla - immature T lymphocytes and macrophages

24
Q

What are the secondary lymphoid organs responsible for?

A

Site of lymphoid activation by antigens.

25
Q

What are lymph nodes?

A

Encapsulated, secondary lymphoid organs that are situated throughout the body.

Their main function is inducing adaptive immune responses to antigens carried from the tissues by lymph.

26
Q

What is the spleen?

A

150g organ located in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen that consists of red pulp and white pulp.

Red pulp: a blood filter that removes aging, damaged blood cells, microorganism, opsonized microbes.

White pulp: made of mainly lymphocytes, initiates immune responses to blood-borne antigens.

27
Q

Where does maturation occur?

A

Thymus - T cells
Bone marrow - B cells

28
Q

Where does activation occur?

A

In the secondary lymphoid organs.

29
Q

Rearrange the stages of inducing an adaptive immune response against a pathogen:

A - Producing weapons against pathogens
B - Transport of weapons to site of infection
C - Recognition of the pathogen

A

C, A, B

30
Q

Where does production occur?

A

In the bone marrow.

31
Q

What do T cells do?

A

Responsible for cell mediated immunity and assisting B cells.

32
Q

What are cytotoxic T cells?

A
  • CD8+
  • T lymphocytes with CD8+ receptors
  • Cell surface receptor is the T cell receptor (TCR) which only recognises antigens when bound to MHC I
  • Primary role is killing
33
Q

What are helper T cells?

A
  • CD4+
  • T lymphocytes with CD4+ receptors
  • Cell surface receptor is the T cell receptor (TCR) which only recognises antigens when bound to MHC II
  • Stimulate B cells to produce antibodies
34
Q

How do cytotoxic T cells work?

A
  • Bind to infected cell through receptors
  • They secrete perforin which makes pores/holes in these infected cells
  • Also secrete granzymes which are enzymes that can enter infected cells via the perforin-formed pore inducing lysis and destruction of these infected cells
35
Q

What are the features of Th1 cells?

A

Principal target cells —> macrophages
Major immune reaction —> macrophage activation
Role in disease —> autoimmunity; chronic inflammation

36
Q

What are the features of Th2 cells?

A

Principal target cells —> eosinophils
Major immune reactions —> eosinophil and mast cell activation; alternative macrophage activation
Role in disease —> allergy

37
Q

What are features of Th17 cells?

A

Principal target cells —> neutrophils
Major immune reactions —> neutrophil recruitment and activation
Role in disease —> autoimmunity; inflammation

38
Q

What are features of Tfh cells?

A

Principal target cells —> B cells
Major immune response —> antibody production
Role in disease —> autoimmunity; autoantibodies

39
Q

What is the purpose of MHC class I?

A
  • Found on virtually all nucleated cells
  • Presents ‘virally induced’ peptides to CD8+ T cells and triggers cytotoxic response
40
Q

What is the purpose of MHC class II?

A
  • Found only on ‘Professional Antigen Presenting Cells’ (APCs i.e. macrophages)
  • Presents exogenously produced Ag to CD4+ T cells
41
Q

What is the role of B cells in immunity?

A
  • Involved in humoral immunity
  • Main function is production of Abs
  • Antibodies directed against antigens
  • B cells produced and mature in the bone marrow
  • Express B cell receptors (BCRs)
  • On activation, they are differentiated into plasma cells (responsible for Abs production), with the help of T helper cells
42
Q

What is an antigen?

A

Any substance, usually a protein, capable of triggering an immune response.

Can be a virus, bacterium, fungus, parasite or even a portion or product of one of these organisms such as the cell wall of the bacteria.

43
Q

What are antibodies?

A
  • Proteins that are produced as an immune response against antigens
  • Different antigens induce production of different antibodies
  • Can be divided into two regions
44
Q

What are the two different regions of an antibody?

A

Upper region: called antigen binding region, the specific part of the antibody that recognises and interacts with antigen

Lower region: called Fc region

45
Q

What are the 5 different types of antibodies (Immunoglobulins)?

A

IgG —> main type, by binding many kinds of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and fungi, protects the body from infection

IgA —> protects mucosal surfaces, resistance to stomach acid

IgM —> first class to be produced

IgE —> defends against parasites, causes allergies

IgD —> unknown function, in B cells, function is to signal B cells to be activated

46
Q

What are the functions of antibodies?

A

Neutralisation: prevention of attachment and entry, mostly IgA —> GI tract and resp tract

Opsonisation: macrophages (MQs)

Complement activation: classical pathways

Foundation of Medicine (Year 1) (6 decks)

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