Immune System Flashcards
Function of immune system
Protects you from infection and all sorts of pathogens and cancers
Overreaction of the immune disease examples
Autoimmune diseases
Lethal allergies
What does the immune system do
Mounts elabatote rracrions against foreign material
Antigen
A substance that the immune system reacts against
Antigens are usually pieces of a pathogen, can be other things as well
WhT tools can be used to prevent infection
Limit access to tissues
Limit access to nutrients
Unfriendly environments (temp, PH)
Directly attack pathogen
Barriers - first line of defense
Skin (constant shedding)
Mucus/respiratory tract
Sneezing, coughing
Example of mechanical barriers
Tears, mucus,
Something that flushed away pathogens
Even bleeding, it washes away pathogens trying to get into wound
Chemical defenses
Lysozyme, stomach acid, antimicrobial proteins
Second line of defense characteristics
Consists of group of cells that respond to common features of pathogens
Chemical and cellular responses that are the same regardless of specific pathogen
Fever, inflammation are system responses by this line of defense
Patterns!!
Not highly specific
What cells carry out the second line of defense
White blood cells— come from bone marrow where they are produced
They are known as leukocytes collectively
All white blood cells are leukocytes
Lymphocytes
A specific type of leukocytes that generate antibodies
Neutrophils
A type of granulocuytes (white blood cell with granules)
Most common type of white blood cell,
Engulfs and kill bacteria; mediate inflammation
Example, puss filled area, it drowns the pathogen with puss
The nucleus is multi loved
Eosinophils
Fight parasites, participate in allergic responses
They are granulosytes
Multi lobed nucleus, red orange stain
Basophils
They are blue, fight parasites (attract a basic dye) participate in allergic reactions
The nucleus is obscured under a microscope, bi-lobed
Macrophages and dendritic cells
Yes phagocytosis: process of engulfing and destroying foreign mosteriaks mostly in the tissues not blood
Phagocytes: engulf bacteria mediate inflammation, present antigens to T cells
Monocytes
This is a macrophage in a different place
Lymphocytes
T cells, B cells, and NK cells
T and B can create memory immunity
They are small cells with large nuclei
Key process in second line of defense
Phagocytosis: when cells engulf and destroy cellular waste
Neutrophils, macrophages, dendritic cells
Recognize pathogens based on shared molecular patterns called pattern recognition receptors
Chemotaxis
Phagocyte moves toward pathogens by chemotaxis
Inflammation
Influx of blood to the area
Local cells secrete chemicals (cytokines) to drive the inflammatory process
Blood vessels dilate, bringing more blood
Cytokines make area painful to the touch