Immune system Flashcards
Life is an arms race as…
…species compete for resources- both parties are evolving but one party can evolve MUCH faster
Types of extracellular worms?
Guinea worm
Hook worm
(Humans become infected with humans and animal worms)
WHat are multicellular eukaryote worms known as?
helminths
Types of Protozoa?
1) Plasmodium spp
- Malaria
- Resistance develops in endemic regions
2) Leishmania spp
- Leishmaniasis
- Found worldwide, including europe.
Type of fungi infection?
1) Candida albicans
- Oral candidiasis
2) Dermatophyte infection
- Ring worm
- Found worldwide
- Tinea pedis
- Tinea corporis
Tinea corporis affects…
…arms and legs
Tinea pedis affects…
… feet (athletes foot)
Candidiasis can affect…
…genital regions
Types of bacterial infection?
1) Staphylococcus aureus
- Impetigo
- Usually occurs after a cut / burn
- Very common in school children
2) Syphillis
- Treponema
- Sexually transmitted
Types of viruses?
1) Epstein-Barr virus
- Herpesviridae
- Infectious mononucleosis
- Usually acquired in childhood
- Later infection can be more severe
2) Mumps virus
- Paramyxoviridae
- Included in UK vaccination schedule
- Causes pain and swelling of salivary glands
Why we need an immune system
- To recognise ‘self’ that is damaged or altered
- Altered self can indicate the cell is dying or likely to become cancerous
- The immune system recognises this and destroys it
Pathogens have diverse infection methods and lifecycles which vary in…
- Complexity (multicellular vs viruses)
- Infection route (skin contact/sexually transmitted/airborne)
- Pathogenicity (fatal in all cases vs only symptomatic if immunocompromised)
- Location of infection (intracellular/extracellular)
The mammalian immune system can be split into …
…two branches (innate and adaptive)
Speed of innate immune system?
Rapid or instant
innate immune system is comprised of…
…physical and cell based mechanisms
Speed of adaptive immune system?
Slower to have effect
The adaptive immune system forms…
…‘memory’ of previous pathogens
What branch of the immune system is effective at birth?
innate
What branch of the immune system is ineffective at birth?
adaptive
The innate immune system does not involve what?
Specific recognition of a microbe
What does the innate immune system act against?
Acts against all microbes in the same way (targets common components of pathogens (PAMPs and DAMPs).
What does the adaptive immune response involve?
Involves specific recognition of a microbe
The adaptive immune response involves a specific ___ to a specific ___
The adaptive immune response involves a specific response to a specific microbe (targets unique components of pathogens)