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Human Anatomy > Immune System > Flashcards

Immune System Flashcards

1
Q

What does the immune system do?

A

provide defence against infectious agents

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2
Q

What are the primary lymphoid organs?

A

thymus and bone marrow

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3
Q

What are the secondary lymphoid organs?

A
  • lymph nodes
  • spleen
  • MALT
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4
Q

What are the 7 components of the innate immune system?

A
  • physical barriers e.g. skin
  • phagocytes e.g. macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes
  • immune surveillance
  • interferons
  • complement
  • inflammation
  • fever
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5
Q

What are the 2 fates of lymphoid stem cells produced in red bone marrow?

A
  • some remain and mature into B and NK cells which enter the bloodstream and move to peripheral tissue
  • some migrate to the thymus and mature into T cells which enter the bloodstream and move to lymphoid tissues
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6
Q

What are the functions of the 6 ILs?

A
  • IL-1 – fever
  • IL-2 – T cell stimulator
  • IL-3 – marrow stimulator
  • IL-4 – IgE stimulator
  • IL-5 – class switching to IgA
  • IL-6 – stimulates acute phase protein
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7
Q

How can histology be used to identify the type of infection?

A
  • bacteria attracts neutrophils
  • virus attracts lymphocytes
  • tuberculosis attracts macrophages
  • foreign body/fungi attracts giant cells
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8
Q

What does the innate immune system response provide?

A

a rapid reaction to infection and the same magnitude of response each time the same pathogen is encountered

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9
Q

What is the adaptive immune response characterised by?

A

the ability to learn, so that second and subsequent encounters with a pathogen elicit a greater, more specific and faster response (basis of lifelong immunity to certain infection after an initial infection of vaccination)

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10
Q

How do B and T cells recognise foreign antigens respectively?

A
  • B cells use surface immunoglobulin to bind native antigens
  • T cells use T cell receptors to bind processed antigen fragments presented by host cells
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11
Q

What do MHC molecules do?

A

present antigenic peptides to T cells

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12
Q

What are the 2 main classes of MHC?

A
  • class I – found on all nucleated cells and presents antigens to CD8+ cytotoxic T cells
  • class II – found on antigen-presenting cells and presents antigens to CD4+ helper T cells
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13
Q

How do CD4+ T cells work?

A
  1. when a CD4+ helper T cell binds MHC II-antigen complex on an APC, both the APC and T cell release cytokines
  2. T cell clones itself in response to cytokines
  3. cloned T cells produce different cytokines that activate B cells and CD8+ cells
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14
Q

How do CD8+ T cells work?

A
  1. when a cytotoxic T cell interacts with the MHC I-epitope complex on an infected cell it produces granzymes and perforins
  2. the perforins form pores in the plasma membrane and granzymes enter the cell and break down proteins, lysing the cell
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15
Q

Where is the thymus gland located?

A

in the chest, between the lungs and behind the sternum

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16
Q

What is the thymus?

A

a primary lymphoid organ that has no follicles and lacks B cells and functions as a maturation site for T lymphocytes

17
Q

What happens to the thymus with age?

A

it undergoes involution (shrinks)

18
Q

What do lymph nodes do?

A

filter lymph and help activate the immune system by providing a site for immune cells to detect and respond to pathogens

19
Q

Where are lymph nodes found?

A

clustered along lymphatic vessels

20
Q

What is the outer layer of a lymph node?

A

a fibrous capsule that provides structural support and encloses the entire node

21
Q

What does the lymph node capsule contain?

A

trabeculae that extend into the interior, dividing the node into compartments

22
Q

What does the lymph node cortex contain?

A
  • lymphoid follicles – spherical clusters of immune cells, mainly B cells
  • germinal centres – inactive follicles that form where B cells rapidly proliferate and mature in response to an infection
  • paracortex – located beneath the cortex, contains mostly T cells and dendritic cells; is the response zone where T cells encounter antigens presented by dendritic cells which triggers the immune response
23
Q

What does the medulla of lymph nodes contain?

A
  • medullar cords – strands of lymphatic tissue that contain B cells, plasma cells and macrophages
  • medullary sinuses – spaces filled with lymph lined with macrophages that help filter out foreign material
24
Q

Describe the pathway of lymph fluid through lymph nodes

A

enters via afferent vessels through the convex side then exits via efferent vessels through the hilum

25
Q

What does lymph fluid contain?

A

immune cells and pathogens

26
Q

Where is the spleen found?

A

in the left hypochondriac region of the abdomen (left upper quadrant) posterior to the stomach and anterior to the left hemidiaphragm at the level of ribs 9-10

27
Q

What is the spleen surrounded by?

A

a fibrous capsule

28
Q

What is the white pulp of the spleen?

A

lymphatic tissue consisting mainly of lymphocytes around central arteries (small branches of the splenic artery)

29
Q

What does the red pulp of the spleen consist of?

A

splenic cords and sinusoids where worn out red blood cells and bloodborne pathogens are destroyed

30
Q

How is the spleen different to the lymph nodes?

A

it has a periarteriolar lymphoid sheath, which is a portion of the white pulp

31
Q

What are the 4 main functions of the spleen?

A
  • production of immunological response
  • removal of particular matter and aged blood cells
  • recycling iron to the bone marrow
  • haematopoiesis in the foetus
32
Q

What does MALT stand for?

A

mucosa associated lymphoid tissue

33
Q

What is MALT?

A

a set of distributed lymphoid tissue strategically located in the mucous membranes throughout the body

34
Q

What does MALT include?

A
  • tonsils (palatine, lingual and pharyngeal)
  • adenoids
  • Peyer’s patches (small intestine)
  • lymphoid aggregates of the small and large intestines
35
Q

What are the 3 steps of the MALT pathway?

A
  1. when an antigen is encountered, it is carried to a local MALT tissue
  2. stimulated lymphocytes migrate to regional lymph nodes where clonal expansion takes place
  3. effector cells then pass via the thoracic duct and general circulation and back to the GI and respiratory mucosae
36
Q

Describe the structure of bone marrow

A

framework of vascular sinusoids lined by endothelial cells and intervening spaces called marrow cords

37
Q

Describe megakaryocytes in bone marrow

A

they sit next to the sinusoids so that proplatelets can be released

38
Q

What do erythroblastic islands in bone marrow do?

A

direct red cells into the sinusoids

39
Q

Describe granulocyte precursors in bone marrow

A

they sit away from the sinusoids and their motile cells migrate into them

Human Anatomy (12 decks)

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