Immune system

Question 1

When someone is sick, they tend to…

Answer 1

ignore food and beverages, get too much sleep or interrupted sleep, not interested in socializing, feel depressed and irritable, and have impaired memory and attention

Question 2

What is sickness behaviour?

Answer 2

Refers to the behavioural and cognitive changes one goes through when they are dealing with a physical illness.

Question 3

What is psychoneuroimmunology?

Answer 3

Studies how the mind, brain and immune system interact with one another.

Question 4

When it is said that “the brain and immune system have bidirectional communication”, what does it refer to?

Answer 4

It means that the psychological state interacts with the immune system and the immune system interacts with the brain.

Question 5

What does the immune system do?

Answer 5

Monitors the internal environment of the body for any signs of invasion from pathogens or viruses or tissue damage.

Question 6

What does it mean when it is said that “the immune system is decentralized”?

Answer 6

Immune cells circulate throughout the blood stream and only act wherever they are needed.

Question 7

Who is responsible for producing and storing immune cells?

Answer 7

Organs - spleen, thymus, lymph nodes and bone marrow

Question 8

What are cytokines and what do they do?

Answer 8

They are chemical messengers - inform the brain that the body is under attack and coordinates the immune response

Question 9

What do cytokines trigger?

Answer 9

activate the adaptive immune system
attract more innate immune cells
trigger an inflammatory response (fever, redness, aches)