Immune and Lymphatic System Flashcards
Why is normal flora important?
Protection from pathogen colonisation (competition with other microorganisms)
Development of immune function (helps to balance between immune system firing and dampening it down - hygiene hypothesis)
Nutritional capability - eg provision of vitamins and amino acids (important in vitamin k production)
What are the normal flora bacteria found at the nose?
Staph. aureus
Staph. epidermidis
diptheroids
streptococci
What are the normal flora bacteria found on the teeth?
Streptococcus mutans Bacteroides Fusobacterium streptococci Actinomyces
What are the normal flora bacteria found at the mouth?
Strep. mitis and other streptococci
Trichomonas tenax
Candida
What are the normal flora bacteria found at the throat?
Strep. viridans Strep. pyogenes Strep. pneumoniae Neisseria spp. Staphylococcus epidermidis Haemophilus influenzae
What are the normal flora bacteria found in the lungs?
Pneumocystis carinii
What are the normal flora bacteria found on the skin?
Staph. epidermis Staph. aureus Diptherioids Streptococci Psuedomonas aeruginosa anaerobes, Candida Torulopsis Pityrosporum
What are the normal flora bacteria found in the urethra and vagina?
Staphylococcus epidermidis
diptherioids
streptococci
Gram negative rods
Name some structural properties of bacteria
Cell membrane Cell wall Slime layer or capsule Plasmids 70s Ribosomes Flagella - movement Pilli - attachment to host cells
Which type of bacteria have a thick pepeptidoglycan layer?
Gram positive
What colour do gram negative bacteria stain?
Blue/ purple
What colour do gram positive bacteria stain?
Red/ pink
What is the process of application of chemicals to produce a gram stain?
Fixation –> Crystal violet –> iodine treatment –> Decolourisation –> counter stain (safronin)
Give an example of gram positive cocci bacteria
Streptococcus spp.
Staphylococcus spp.
Give an example of gram positive rod bacteria
Clostridium spp.
Give an example of gram negative cocci bacteria
Neisseria spp.
Give an example of gram negative rod bacteria
Bacteroides spp.
Escherichia spp.
What is the purpose of bacterial spore formation?
Formed when conditions aren’t favourable, they’re a dormant phase with little or no metabolic activity. Ensures bacterial survival.
Give some properties and examples of yeast fungi
Small and smooth
eg candida - athletes foot
trichophyton rubrum
Give some properties and examples of mould fungi
Mycelial growth
eg aspergillus - respiratory infection
How are fungal infections classified?
According to site of infection
How are cutaneous fungal infections spread?
Direct contact
Common - eg athletes foot and ringworm
How are subcutaneous fungal infections spread?
Puncture wounds/ trauma
These are rare
How are systemic fungal infections spread?
Inhalation then spread
Rare but serious
eg aspergillosis
Which type of patients are opportunistic fungal infections most likely to manifest in?
Immunocompromised patients
These are rare but serious
eg candida, cryptococcus infection
What are the properties of protozoa and metazoa?
Eucaryotic - single celled or multi celled
DNA inside the nucleus
Organelles eg mitochondria, ER, golgi
Cell membrane
Sometimes an outer wall
Complex life cycles - may involve different hosts
Well developed sexual reproduction
Metabolic processes closer to human processes
What property are protozoa classified by?
Classified by the way they move:
Amoebae
Flagellates
Sporozoa
Give an example of an amoebae (protozoa)
Entamoeba
Give an example of a flagellate (protozoa)
Giardia
Give an example of a Sporozoa (protozoa)
Cryptosporidium
What property are metazoa classified by?
Classified by their shape:
Round worms - nematodes
Tape worms - cestodes
Flukes - trematodes
Give an example of a roundworm/ nematode (metazoa)
Ascaris
Give an example of a tape worm/ cestode (metazoa)
Taenia
Give an example of a fluke/ trematode (metazoa)
Schistosoma
What comprises a typical virus structure?
Nucleic acid
Protein coat - capsid
some have lipid envelope - usually originates from host cell
Viral proteins inserted
What is a nucleocapsid?
Nucleic acid + protein coat (capsid)
Where are lymphatic capillaries found?
Around the blood vessels
Where are lacteals found and what do they contain?
Found in the small intestine
Contain dietary fats and proteins
What are the constituent structures of the lymphatic system?
Red bone marrows Thymus Lymph nodes Spleen Tonsils Lymph Nodules (MALT, GALT etc)
Define primary lymphatic organs/ tissues
Sites where lymphocytes are produced, mature and become capable of immune response (immunocompetent)
eg Red bone marrow and thymus
Give some examples of primary lymphatic organs/ tissue. What are their functions?
Red bone marrows - site of T and B cell production and B cell maturation
Thymus - site of T cell maturation
Define secondary lymphatic organs/ tissue
Sites where most immune (adaptive) responses occur or develop.
Give some examples of secondary lymphatic organs/ tissue.
Lymph nodes
Spleen
Tonsils
Lymph nodules in the GIT, respiratory and reproductive systems (MALT, GALT etc)
What is lymph?
Usually clear watery and slightly yellow interstitial (intercellular/extracellular) fluid
Made of tissue fluid, plasma proteins, bacteria, cellular debris and lymphocytes - similar in composition to blood plasma.
What are the 4 cel types found in the lymphatic system?
Macrophages
Epithelial cells
Dendritic cells
Lymphocytes
What mechanisms aid the flow of lymph around the body?
skeletal muscle and respiratory pumps
What is the order of flow within the subdivisions of lymphatic vessels?
Lymphatic capillaries –> Lymph vessels –> Lymph nodes –> Lymph trunks –> Lymphatic Ducts –> Venous Blood
Name the two lymphatic ducts
Right lymphatic duct
Left (thoracic) lymphatic duct
Name the five lymphatic trunks
Jugular lymphatic trunk Subclavian lymphatic trunk Bronchomediastinal lymphatic trunk Lumbar lymphatic trunk Intestinal lymphatic trunk
Where does the right lymphatic duct drain from?
Drains lymph from the right jugular, right bronchomediastinal and right subclavian trunks
Right duct just drains right arm and upper body
Where does the left lymphatic (thoracic) duct drain from?
Starts from the cisterna chyli and drains lymph from the right and left lumbar and intestinal, left jugular, left subclavian and left bronchomediastinal trunks
Thoracic duct drains 3/4 of body
What are venous angles?
Where the lymphatic ducts in most cases return lymph into the venous circulation.
What spinal level is the cisterna chyli located at?
between the level of T12 and L2
What are the difference between superficial and deep lymph vessels?
Lymphatic vessels described as superficial and deep depending on their location in the body.
Superficial lymph vessels are more numerous than subcutaneous veins and drain into the deep lymphatic vessels
The deep lymphatic vessels accompany the arteries
How do lymphatic vessels communicate with veins?
Via anastomoses
What are the 7 major groups of lymphatic nodes and where are they located?
Pericranial ring - base f head
Cervical nodes - along course of internal jugular vein
Tracheal nodes - nodes related to trachea and bronchi
Axillary nodes - in axilla
Deep nodes - related to aorta and celiac trunk and superior and inferior mesenteric arteries
Inguinal nodes - along the course of the inguinal ligament
Femoral nodes - along femoral vein
What lymph vessels are involved in drainage of the face and scalp?
Mostly to the pericervical (pericranial) collar of superficial lymph nodes – submental, submandibular, parotid, mastoid and occipital.
Then finally to the deep cervical lymph nodes which lie along the internal jugular vein.
What lymph vessels are involved in drainage of the anterio-lateral abdominal wall?
Superficial vessels above the Transumbilical plane drain mainly to the Axillary lymph nodes and a few to the parasternal lymph nodes.
Superficial lymphatic vessels below the Transumbilical plane drain to the superficial inguinal lymph nodes.
The deep lymphatic vessels drain to the external iliac, common iliac, and right and left lumbar (caval and aortic) lymph nodes.
How many lobes does the thymus have?
Two, with a fibrous connective tissue capsule
Where is the thymus located?
Extends from the superior to the anterior mediastinum and lies between the sternum and the great vessels
What is the spleen composed of?
Outer capsule and the stroma
Parenchyma:
White pulp - lymphatic tissue
Red pulp - blood filled venous sinuses
Give four functions of the spleen
Immune mediated response
Degradation of red blood cells
Haematopoesis in foetal life
Storage of blood
What comprises a lymph node?
Several afferent vessels, one or two efferent vessels
Fibrous capsular
covering
Capsular trabeculae
Cortex, containing T cells
Medulla, containing B cells and anti-body producing plasma cells from the cortex.
Lymphatic sinuses.
What are the two main viral structure types?
naked nucleocapsid and enveloped virus
How do viruses store genetic information?
Nucleic acids in the form of DS or SS RNA or DNA
What properties are viruses classified according to?
Size
Morphology
Type of nucleic acid in the genome
How they produce mRNA
In what form is the genetic material found in class I viruses?
Give an example of a class I virus.
dsDNA
Human papilloma virus
Herpes simplex
In what form is the genetic material found in class II viruses?
Give an example of a class II virus.
ssDNA
Parvouviri
In what form is the genetic material found in class III viruses?
Give an example of a class III virus.
dsRNA
Rotavirus
In what form is the genetic material found in class IV viruses?
Give an example of a class IV virus.
ssRNA (+)
SARS
In what form is the genetic material found in class V viruses?
Give an example of a class V virus.
ssRNA (-)
Influenza
Ebola
In what form is the genetic material found in class VI viruses?
Give an example of a class VI virus.
ssRNA (+) diploid
HIV
In what form is the genetic material found in class VII viruses?
Give an example of a class VII virus.
Gapped dsDNA
Hepatitis B
What is the mode of RNA production on class I viruses?
ds DNA virus - mRNA transcribed directly from DNA template
What is the mode of RNA production on class II viruses?
ssDNA virus - DNA converted to ds form before RNA transcribed
What is the mode of RNA production on class III viruses?
dsRNA virus - mRNA transcribed from RNA genome
What is the mode of RNA production on class IV viruses?
ssRNA (+) virus - genome functions as mRNA
What is the mode of RNA production on class V viruses?
ssRNA (-) virus - mRNA transcribed from RNA genome
What is the mode of RNA production on class VI viruses?
ssRNA (+) diploid virus - Reverse transcriptase makes DNA from RNA genome.
DNA then incorporated into the host genome.
mRNA transcribed from incorporated DNA.
(Think HIV.)
What is the mode of RNA production on class VII viruses?
Gapped dsDNA virus - viral genome is dsDNA, but viral DNA replicated through RNA intermediate
What does Saquinavir (antiviral) target?
Protein synthesis (an HIV protease inhibitor)
Used for HIV infection in combination with other antiretrovirals.
What does Acyclovir (antiviral) target?
Nucleoside analogue.
Used as a systemic and topic treatment for herpes simplex.
Systemic treatment for varicella zooster.
Does not eradicate the virus.
What is the molecular basis of the mechanism behind Saquinavir (antiviral)?
In HIV, mRNA is translated into inert polyproteins. A viral protease then cleaves the polyproteins into functional proteins during budding of the virus from the host cell. HIV protease inhibitors prevent this step.
What is the molecular basis of the mechanism behind Acyclovir (antiviral)?
A ‘prodrug’, which is phosphorylated to acyclovir monophosphate by thymadine kinase (viral enzyme). Further phosphorylated by cellular kinases to acylovir triphosphate, which competes for viral DNA polymerase, becomes incorporated into the growing viral DNA chain and terminates it.