Foundations of Immunology 1 Flashcards
What two divisions of the immune systems do we possess?
Innate (non-specific) and Adaptive (highly specific)
Describe the action of the innate immune system
- Non-specific
- First to come into play
- Will produce the same response time and again - no immunological memory
Describe the action of the adaptive immune system
- Highly specific
- Immunological memory
- Antibody production
State the type of cells exclusive to the innate immune system
Macrophages, dendritic cells, mast cells and granulocytes
Name relevant granulocytes
NKC, Basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils
State the types of cells exclusive to the adaptive immune system
B-cells and T-cells
Describe the production of macrophages
Monocytes produced in bone marrow - mature into macrophages
Other than phagocytosis, what do macrophages do in an immune response?
- Give off chemicals that restrict blood flow away from injury site (redness)
- Contraction of endothelial cells (swelling)
- Produce cytokines to alert other cells
What are the most abundant types of leukocytes?
Neutrophils
What are eosinophils?
Granulocytes that help combat parasitic infections
What causes anaphylactic shock?
Severe Mast cell degranulation
Describe the process of anaphylactic shock in terms of first and second exposures to a allergen
On first exposure, people have a huge response and produce lots of IgE antibodies which bind to the mast cell Fc (constant regions)
On second exposure the allergen bind to the IgE receptors associated with the mast cells and they degranulate.
This is essentially a chain reaction and causes massive degranulation across the whole body
What are some of the symptoms of anaphylactic shock?
Increase permeability in blood vessels causes fluid to escape - leads to decreased blood volume, runny nose, watery eyes and in more extreme cases, heart attack. Histamine can also cause airways to constrict and close
What is the least common WBC?
Basophils
List some non-specific humoral factors
- Growth inhibitors
- Enzyme inhibitors
- Lysins
- Complement proteins
What is the complement system?
One of the major effector mechanisms of humoral immunity
List the activation pathways of the complement system
Classical, alternative and lectin
What is the aim of the game for the activation of the complement system?
Create C5 convertase
Describe the steps after activation of the complement system
C5 is cleaved into C5a and b - C5b combines with C6, 7, 8 and 9 to form the MAC (Membrane attack complex) - a pore which allows for cell lysis
What are the residual C3a and C5a used for?
Chemoattractants - recruit other cells (macrophages and neutrophils) to the site of infection
What are the four overall functions of the complement system?
- Induce cell lysis of microbes
- Promote phagocytosis
- Stimulate phagocytosis
- Activates B cells
What are cytokines?
Chemicals used by cells to communicate with other cells
What is an inflammatory response?
General term which relates to the summative effects of many different immune responses against foreign bodies
What are the two classifications of inflammation?
Acute and chronic
What is acute inflammation?
The body’s initial response to a harmful stimuli
What is chronic inflammation?
Leads to a progressive shift in the type of cells which are present at the site of inflammation - characterised with simultaneous destruction and healing of tissue from the response
