Immune System Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

What are the 3 main roles of the lymphatic system?

A
  1. Maintain fluid balance
  2. Transport lipids
  3. Protect against infection
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are pathogens?

A

Microscopic organisms that can cause harm to the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the defense system?

A

A system that activates when pathogens enter your system in order to protect against the pathogens

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the 3 lines of defense?

A
  1. Barriers
  2. Non-specific defenses
  3. Specific defenses
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Describe the 1st line of defense

A

Surface barriers that prevent pathogens from entering the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are the different components of the 1st line of defense?

A
  1. Physical: eyelashes, cilia in respiratory tract, nose hairs
  2. Chemical: mucus, tears, stomach acid, precipitation
  3. Skin: hostile environment for microorganisms
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Describe the 2nd line of defense

A
  • The non-specific cellular and molecular responses of the immune system (does not involve antibodies)
  • Defences do not differentiate between different pathogens (respond the same way for each infection)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the different components of the 2nd line of defense?

A
  1. Natural killer cells (target cancerous or infected body cells and perform phagocytosis: engulf foreign bodies)
  2. Inflammatory response (damage to tissue causes release of histamine and cause capillaries to swell and leak, releasing phagocytes)
  3. Fever (WBCs release chemicals, triggering the hypothalamus to increase body temperature,
    causing WBCs to work better and viruses/bacteria to weaken
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Describe the third line of defense

A
  • During fetal development the body makes a list of all “self” particles (antigens that belong)
  • Antigen receptors (same shape as antibodies) on B and T cells recognize foreign antigens, and bind to them and neutralize them
  • If we come into contact with the same antigen again, the immune response will be faster
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are T-cells?

A

They are lymphocytes (a type of WBC) that develops in the thymus gland. They recognize pathogens and activate immune responses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are the different types of T-cells?

A

Helper T cells
Killer T cells
Suppressor T cells
Memory T cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What do helper T-cells do?

A

Recognize antigen from chemical signals and stimulate more phagocytes/macrophages, B cells, and T cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What do killer T-cells do?

A

Bind, puncture, and destroy infected cells; essentially “self-destruct”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What do suppressor T-cells do?

A

Slows/turns off immune response to protect healthy tissues after invader is killed off

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What do memory T-cells do?

A

Do not respond on first exposure, but remember pathogen and remain in blood for future invasion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are B-cells?

A

They are lymphocytes (a type of WBC) that mature in bone marrow. When they are activated, the cell enlarges and divides into memory B and plasma cells

17
Q

What is the role of a plasma cell?

A

Produce and release large amounts of antibodies (200/sec) that will match the foreign invader’s antigen and bind to it, disabling the pathogen

18
Q

What is the role of a Memory B-cell?

A

Remembers the pathogens after the infection is gone, and stays in blood ready for them to attack again

19
Q

What is an autoimmune disorder?

A

When T cells or antibodies mistakenly attack the body’s own cells

20
Q

What are allergies? What are the two types?

A

Exaggerated immune response to a harmless material. The two types are acute and delayed

21
Q

Describe an acute allergy

A

Reaction occurs within seconds;
antibodies trigger release of histamines, causing swelling, watery eyes, runny nose, etc.