IMI2: the innate immune system Flashcards
what are the Ian 3 steps of the innate immune system?
detect, deflect and destroy
what type of cells are phagocytes?
neutrophils
macrophages
how any types of macrophages are there? what are they and what do they do?
2 types:
- free types –> patrol tissues looking for creepers
- fixed types –> devours anything sus that passes by using cytoplasmic extensions
how does NK cell kill our own cells?
in healthy cells –> MHC1
if cell is infected –> no MHC1 ==> NK cells detect that, poke the infected cell and triggers apoptosis
how do immune cells know where to look in the first place?
- mast cells in connective tissues send out histamine which causes vasodilation that result in redness and heat at the site of infection and causes an increase in the permeability of blood vessels that result in swelling
- neutrophils are triggered when injured cells release chemicals that begin leukocytosis
- monocytes transform into macrophages and they let loose pyrogen chemicals that tap the hypothalamus and raise your body’s thermostat
what is the complement system?
innate immune suste that enhances or complements the ability of phagocytic cells and antibodies to remove microbes and damaged cells from our bodies
does the complement system contribute to the adaptive immune system? if yes how?
yes
it increases the presentation f bacterial fragments to T cells
what are the 3 key roles of the complement system?
- tag or opsonise foreign surfaces
- puncture the membranes of foreign pathogens/cells leading to cell lysis
- signal to the cellular immune system where there is a foreign invader and trigger the recruitment of cells
how many different types of proteins are part of the complement system?
30 different types of proteins
where are the proteins of the complement system?
complement proteins float around in a sort-of passive mode
example of complement attack
- C3 breaks into C3a and C3b
- C3a floods away from the site of battle –> passive immune cells notice C3a, get activated and follow the protein tracks to the site of infection
- C3b dings a target and anchors itself –> C3b changes shape –> grabs other proteins and start a small cascade ==> recruiting platform known as C3 convertase –> activates ore C3 proteins ==> amplification loop
- C3 convertase changes shape into C5 convertase which recruits new proteins that begin the construction of a bigger structure: the membrane attack complex
- the membrane attack complex rips a hole in the bacteria’s membranes ==> kills the bacteria
- phagocytes have C3b receptors on their plasma membrane
are complement proteins more useful against viruses or bacteria?
they are most useful against viruses because they need to travel from cell to cell
when viruses is not in a cell, complement intercepts and cripples them
the viruses become harmless and complement guides the immune system to devour the virus
why do we ever get sick?
because viruses and bacteria adapt
what are the different pathways that can activate the complement cascade?
classical complement pathway
lectin complement pathway
alternative complement pathway
what are anti-microbial peptides (AMPs)?
they are small polycationic peptides that possess a positive charge and are attracted and incorporated into negatively charged bacterial membranes.
what do AMPs do to bacteria and fungi?
they disrupt their membrane resulting in cell lysis and can interfere with DNA and protein synthesis and can function as immunomodulation
what are granulocytes?
cells that contain vesicles in their cytoplasm filled with noxious substances that can be released to fight infections and they also have multi-lobed nucleus
what is another name for granulocytes? examples of granulocytes?
polymorphonuclear cells examples: neutrophils basophils eosinophils mast cells
what does the shape of the granulocytes’ nucleus do?
serves important function allowing granulocytes to easily squeeze through gaps between endothelial cells and rapidly migrate from blood or lymphatic vessels into tissues in response to an infection
what are the first immune cell types to arrive from circulation?
neutrophils
what are the different things neutrophils can do to kil a pathogen?
- phagocytic capability to engulf and destroy pathogens
- release of noxious substances stored into cytoplasmic granules in a process called degranulation
- release of neutrophils extracellular traps (NETs) a process called NETosis