Immune System Flashcards

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1
Q

Name the two defense systems of the immune system

A

Nonspecific defense
Specific defense

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2
Q

Nonspecific defense (simple explanation)

A
  • protects the body from all foreign invaders, regardless of their type or location
  • mechanical barriers
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3
Q

Types of Nonspecific defenses (4)

A
  • skin
  • mucous membranes
  • inflammatory response
  • proteins
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4
Q

Skin (characteristics)

A
  • unbroken skin = physical barrier to most microbes
  • sweat + sebum (oil) = acidic to inhibit bacterial growth
  • sebum also contains antibacterial compounds
    (1st line of defence)
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5
Q

Mucous membranes (characteristics)

A
  • physical barrier in all body cavities that open to the exterior
  • some are ciliated to sweep foreign particles away
  • some secrete acids or enzymes to inhibit bacterial growth
    (1st line of defence)
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6
Q

Specific defense (simple explanation)

A
  • the immune system
  • involves specially formulated substances that attack specific antigens the body has come into contact with previously
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7
Q

Innate immunity

A

1st and 2nd line of defence

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8
Q

second line of defence

A

general couple of cells that still attack an invader that gets passed 1st line of defence

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9
Q

second line defence (examples)

A

cells and chemicals:
- phagocytosis
- natural killer cells
- inflammatory response

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10
Q

phagocytic cells

A

phagocytic cells are specialized white blood cells such as macrophages or neutrophils that engulf foreign particles and destroy them

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11
Q

natural killer cells

A

natural killer cells are a type of lymphocyte that blinds to certain tumor cells and virus-infected cells and kills them by injecting granules that contain special protein such as perforin, which creates hole in the plasma membrane

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12
Q

inflammatory response

A
  • triggered by injury to body tissues
  • damage cells release chemicals (histamine +kinins)
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13
Q

symptoms of inflammatory response

A

1) redness
2) heat
3) swelling
4) pain
5) loss of function (cant move etc)

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14
Q

1st line of defence (examples)

A
  • skin
  • mucous membranes
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15
Q

inflammatory chemical causes

A

1) blood vessels dilate = increasing blood flow to the damaged areas = leads to redness + heat
2) capillaries become leaky = allows plasma into tissues = leads to swelling

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16
Q

what does inflammatory chemicals also activate

A

pain receptors
- swelling increases pain by putting pressure on nerves
- pain and swelling can lead to loss of function
- pain alerts you to damage in the body do you don’t further injure yourself

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17
Q

white blood cells (such as phagocytes) are attracted to what?

A

attracted to damaged area by inflammatory chemicals

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18
Q

chemotaxis

A

the movement of cells towards or away from a chemical stimulus

19
Q

diapedesis

A

the movement of white blood cells through capillary walls into tissues

20
Q

neutrophils

A

drawn to damaged area by inflammatory chemicals, followed by monocytes

21
Q

purpose of inflammatory response (4)

A

1) isolates foreign substances from other body tissues
2) phagocytic action of WBC’s disposes of cell debris and pathogens
3) prepares the area for repair
4) clotting proteins in the body initiate the formation of a fibrin net which seals off the damaged area and prepares the way for tissue repair

22
Q

describe fever

A
  • abnormally high body temperature
  • systemic response to to invading microbes
23
Q

how does fever benefit the body (2)

A

1) limiting the ability of bacteria to multiply
2) speeding up metabolic processes such as tissue repair

24
Q

adaptive immunity
3rd line of defence: specific defense characteristics

A
  • antigen-specific
  • systemic
  • has memory
  • two divisions: humoral & cellular
25
Q

describe what the immune system does to antigens

A

antigens = foreign invaders
the immune system works to destroy or inactivate them
it is specific systemic and it remembers previous encounters with pathogens

26
Q

describe humoral

A

1) also called antibody-mediated immunity
2) employs antibodies in body fluids

27
Q

describe cellular

A

1) also called cell-mediated immunity
2) uses living cells (lyphocytes) to destroy infected cells either directly or indirectly

28
Q

describe antigens + examples

A

antigens are substances that trigger an immune response
ex: bacterium, fungus, virus, toxin, or foreign body

29
Q

describe protein + its role

A
  • they are strong against antigens
  • our cells have protein in the plasma membrane
  • some of these protein act as self-antigens which allow our immune system to recognize cells that belong to us and those that do not
30
Q

how does the immune system respond to antigens

A

1) producing cells that attack them directly
2) producing specialized proteins called antibodies that bind to them, tagging them for destruction by other cells (each antibody has a protein that is specific to one antigen)

31
Q

what are the two main cell populations that provide immunity

A

1) lymphocytes
2) macrophages

32
Q

what are the two main types of lymphocytes

A

1) B Cells
2) T Cells

33
Q

describe B Cells

A
  • produce antibodies and oversee humoral immunity
  • develop in bone marrow
34
Q

describe T Cells

A
  • non-antibody producing lymphocytes
  • function in cell-mediated immunity
  • develop in the thymus gland
35
Q

how many types of antigen receptors are on a lymphocytes surface + what is it for

A

one
- it is specifically designed to react to one distinct antigen

36
Q

macrophages: where + how do they function

A

where: in both nonspecific and specific immunity
how: when they engulf particles, they bear those proteins on their plasma membrane to attract T Cells

37
Q

describe humoral immune response

A

1) involves antibodies that circulate in the blood or lymph
2) activated when B cell antibodies bind to antigens on the surface of a pathogen
3) triggers rapid division called clonal selection

38
Q

explain how clonal selection occurs

A

occurs when activated B cells produce a larger number of clones

most develop into plasma cells which will
produce antibodies until they die in a few weeks or months, but some develop into memory B cells that remain in the body to fight the antigen more quickly and efficiently if it ever returns

39
Q

describe secondary humoral response

A

secondary humoral response is the second time a foreign substance invades the body and is met with a swift and effective response from the memory B cells

40
Q

describe how active immunity is acquired + other info

A
  • acquired during an infection or vaccination
  • provides immunological memory
41
Q

describe how passive immunity is acquired + other info

A
  • acquired when a mother’s antibodies cross the placenta to the baby or when antibodies from a donor are injected
  • it is short-lived immunity that does not provide immunological memory
42
Q

describe antibodies

A
  • proteins produced by B cells / plasma cells in response to an antigen
  • they form a T or Y shape with a variable region and a constant region
43
Q

functions of antibodies (3)

A

1) complement fixation (attachment signals immune system to attack it)
2) neutralization (antibody attachment blocks the pathogen cells from functioning)
3) —- i have to go eat breakfast brb