Immune Response

Question 1

What does virulence mean?

Answer 1

The ability of a pathogen to cause disease

Question 2

What is bacterial adhesion?

Answer 2

Pathogens must stick to membrane of host cell using adhesins.

Question 3

What is an immune response blocker?

Answer 3

Some bacteria from a slime layer called biofilm to protect from chemical messengers, this allows large amounts of bacteria to form in a given area.

Question 4

What is the immune system?

Answer 4

A hosts defence system made up of many biological structures and processes that protect and organism from disease.

Question 5

What is the innate immune system?

Answer 5

Non specific defence mechanisms. Includes physical barriers such as skin, chemicals in blood, and white blood cells.

Question 6

What is the acquired immune system?

Answer 6

Learned immunity that is not present at birth. When an organism encounters foreign antigens, the system will generate antibodies. Involves T-cells and B-cells.

Question 7

How can pathogens enter the body?

Answer 7

Natural openings or via wounds in the skin

Question 8

What is the role of the skin?

Answer 8

Dead skin cells are constantly sloughed off, making it hard for invading bacteria to colonize. Sweat and oils contain antimicrobial chemicals, including some antibiotics

Question 9

What is mucus?

Answer 9

Mucus contains lysozymes, enzymes that destroy bacterial cell walls. The normal flow of mucus washes bacteria and viruses off of mucus membranes.

Question 10

What is the first line of defence?

Answer 10

Non specific, involves antibodies. Consists of skin, mucus, hair, and blood chemicals.

Question 11

What is the second line of defence?

Answer 11

Activated if the 1st is penetrated, non specific. Inflammatory system plays a part.

Question 12

What is the histocompatibility complex?

Answer 12

All cells in an organism have special protein on their outer membrane that acts as an identity marker that allows the immune system to recognise self cells

Question 13

What are antigens?

Answer 13

Antigens are marker proteins that are not recognised by the host and therefore attacked by the immune system.

Question 14

What is the role of inflammation?

Answer 14

Inflammation is signalled by mast cells, which release histamine. Histamine causes fluid to collect around an injury to dilute toxins. This causes swelling.

Question 15

What is the role of phagocytes?

Answer 15

Phagocytes are several types of white blood cells that seek and destroy invaders. Some also destroy damaged body cells.

Question 16

What is the complement system?

Answer 16

20 proteins that are formed in the liver but found in blood plasma and intercellular spaces. The complement system has 3 distinct pathways which can activate the proteins.

Question 17

What is the third line of defence?

Answer 17

Specific defences that give an organism immunity to certain diseases, for example, vaccines.

Question 18

What does the complements trigger?

Answer 18

Phagocytosis, direct destruction, neutralisation, cell signalling, inflammation.

Question 19

What is an antibody?

Answer 19

Protein produced by the immune system to tag and destroy invasive microbes.

Question 20

What is an antibiotic?

Answer 20

Various chemicals produced by a certain soil microbes that are toxic to many bacteria.

Question 21

What are T cells and B cells?

Answer 21

These are specialised white blood cells; enter the body from bone marrow.

Question 22

What are vectors?

Answer 22

An organism that doesn’t cause disease by itself but which spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another. Species of mosquitos serve as vectors for the deadly disease malaria.

Question 23

What is epidemiology?

Answer 23

The study of distribution and determinants of health related states and events in specified populations.

Question 24

What is herd immunity?

Answer 24

Protects more vulnerable members of society, ensures a large % of a population is immune to an infection through vaccination.

Question 25

What is preventative measures?

Answer 25

Personal hygiene is important in reducing the risk of contracting pathogens.