Immune Response Flashcards
What are the key roles of the immune system ?
- defence against microbes
- defence of growth of tumour cells
- homeostasis - destroying abnormal/dead cells
What are the 2 types of immunity ?
- innate immuntiy
- adaptive immunity
What is the first key role of innate immunity ?
the initial prevention, control or elimination of infection until adaptive immune responses are activated
What is the 2nd key role of innate immunity ?
stimulation of the adaptive immune system to be optimally effective against different types of microbes
What are the 2 lines of innate defence ?
- physical & chemical
- cellular
Describe the mechanical defence of the skin and gut
- epithelial cells joined by tight junctions
- longitudinal flow of air/fluid
What are the chemical defences of the skin ?
- fatty acids
- antibacterial peptides
What are the chemical defences of the gut ?
- low pH
- pepsin enzyme
- antibacterial peptides
What cells of myeloid origin are used in the innate immune defence?
- monocytes
- dendritic cells
- granulocytes
What are the sub-types of granulocytes ?
- neutrophils
- eosinophils
- mast cells
- basophils
What cells of lymphoid origin are involved in the innate immune defence?
- natural killer cells
- NK/T cells
Describe monocytes/macrophages
- phagocytosis - activation of T cells
- monocytes = young macrophages
- antigen presentation
What are some examples of macrophages ?
- alveolar macrophages
- kupffer cells
- mesangial cells
Describe Dendritic Cells
- activation of T cells
- initiate adaptive immunity
- found in lymphoid tissue
- function as antigen presenting cells
What is the most potent stimulator of the T-cell response
Dendritic Cells
