Immune System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the granulocytes of the leukocytes?

A

neutrophils
eosinophils
basophils

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2
Q

What do neutrophils look like under the microscope?

A
they don't take up stain (neutral)
lobulated nuclei (polymorphonuclear)
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3
Q

What are characteristics of neutrophils during infection?

A

phagocytic

they increase in number during infection

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4
Q

What do eosinophils look like under a microscope?

A

red

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5
Q

What are characteristics of eosinophils? (what do they defend against and how)

A

defend against parasitic worms
engulf pollen and animal dander
granules contain toxins that attack parasites

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6
Q

What do basophils look like under a microscope?

A

blue

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7
Q

What are characteristics of basophils during infection? (what kind of reactions do they contribute to?)

A

NON-phagocytic

contribute to allergic reactions because their granules contain histamine

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8
Q

What are the leukocytes that are agranulocytes?

A

monocytes and lymphocytes

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9
Q

What do monocytes look like under a microscope?

A

single, non-lobulated nucleus

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10
Q

What are characteristics of monocytes during infection?

A

phagocytic

migrate to tissues and become macrophages

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11
Q

What types of cells are lymphocytes?

A

B cells and T cells

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12
Q

What is the first line of defense in the body? (broad term)

A

innate (nonspecific) immune defenses

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13
Q

What are nonspecific defenses of the body?

A
physical barriers
inflammation
interferons
natural killer cells
complement system
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14
Q

What is the first thing that happens when there is damage to tissue?

A

chemicals are released that first cause vasodilation in the infected area (increased blood flow)

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15
Q

Is there an increase or decrease in protein permeability of the capillaries during an inflammatory response?

A

increased protein permeability

resulting diffusion of protein and filtration of fluid into interstitial fluid

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16
Q

What is chemotaxis?

A

the movement of leukocytes from the venues into the interstitial fluid of infected area

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17
Q

Neutrophils exist in the bloodstream and can either be circulating or _________.

A

marginating (rolling along the walls of the vessels)

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18
Q

When marginating neutrophils detect non-self outside the vessel wall, they move into the interstitial space via ________.

A

diapadesis

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19
Q

FUN FACT: a patient that takes steroids, their WBCs will ______. (causing an apparent increase in WBC count)

A

demarginate

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20
Q

What is opsonization?

A

the use of opsonins to attach through a thickened cell wall or mucous covering on a bacterium

“slippery bacteria”

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21
Q

What are mediators of the immune response that “live” in the area of inflammation, NOT in the blood stream?

A

mast cells

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22
Q

What is the central component of the Complement System?

A

Membrane Attack Complex (MAC attack)

about 30 plasma proteins that come together on the surface of invading bacteria

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23
Q

What does the MAC attack result in?

A

cell membrane rupture—lysis of bacteria—death of organism

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24
Q

What is the complement cascade activated by? (Which type of immune response)

A

specific OR innate immune responses

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25
Q

What chemical released by phagocytes helps regulate the inflammatory process by “keeping the troops coming via blood supply”? (think vasodilation)

A

nitrous oxide

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26
Q

What chemical released by phagocytes activates clotting and anti-clotting pathways that helps to “wall off” the infection?

A

cytokines

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27
Q

Proliferation occurs during the final stage of the inflammation process–tissue repair. Proliferation of what?

A
  1. new cells come in while damaged cells are recycled
  2. angiogenesis for new vascular supply
  3. fibroblasts multiply and release collagen to create “scaffolding”
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28
Q

What type of innate immunity is released by an infected cell to attach to other “self” cells and cause them to start creating antivirals.

A

interferons

(now cells that have the interferon attached are making antivirals…..virus can get in but no replication will occur) DEAD END

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29
Q

What is the main constituent of specific/acquired/adaptive immunity?

A

lymphocytes

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30
Q

Lymphocytes are activated by “non-self” cells where?

A

Lymph nodes or spleen

(they are constantly flowing from nodes, to spleen, to bloodstream, back to nodes to “run into” something “non-self” that will activate them

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31
Q

Lymphatic channels return a large amount of fluid to the bloodstream via the ________.

A

thoracic duct

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32
Q

Where are lymphocytes (B and T cells) ORIGINALLY made?

A

It all starts in the BONE MARROW with a pluripotent stem cell

33
Q

Once B and T status is establish, these groups are “educated” separately. Where do each of them go?

A

T cells go to “boarding school” in the THYMUS

B cells go to “day school” in the BONE MARROW

34
Q

What is apoptosis?

A

programmed cell death

35
Q

Apoptosis of all B and T cells that might be “anti-self” happens during ________.

A

embryonic/neonatal development

“graduate or die”

36
Q

Immune tolerance develops during fetal and early postnatal life due to _____ or ______.

A

clonal deletion or clonal inactivation

37
Q

Why do pregnant mothers have a dampened immune system?

A

to tolerate the “non-self” of the developing embryo

38
Q

What are some examples of immunodeficiency diseases?

A

SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency disease)
Hodgkin’s disease (cancer of lymphatic system)
AIDS (affects helper T cells)

39
Q

When B cells have unique protein binders on the cell surface they are called _______; when they secrete it, it’s an ________.

A

surface receptor

antibody

40
Q

T cells graduate from the thymus with specific receptors that only bind to a _______ combo.

A

antigen + MHC

41
Q

T cells are further subdivided into _____ and _____.

A

CD4 (helper T)

CD8 (cytotoxic)

42
Q

What part of antibodies are the same within a class? (G, A, M, E, D)

A

constant region

43
Q

What part of antibodies differ for different antigens, giving specificity to antigen-binding sit?

A

variable region

44
Q

How many chains make up an antibody?

A

four chains total

two heavy and two light

45
Q

How many antigen-binding sites per antibody?

A

two (one on each prong)

46
Q

What happens when an antibody binds to an antigen? (what happens to the antigen)

A

inactivation and destruction of the foreign antigen

47
Q

What type of antibodies cross the placenta?

A

IgG

these are the most common type of antibodies

48
Q

What are the functions of antibodies?

A
  1. neutralization (kill them or render them harmless)
  2. agglutination (stick them all together in a clump)
  3. opsonization (make them sticky so that macrophages can grab and eat them)
  4. complement activation (turn on the complement cascade so it can create MACs and make holes in them)
  5. Enhance Natural Killer Cell Activity
49
Q

T cells work in conjunction with what type of molecules?

A

Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)

50
Q

Where are Class I MHC molecules expressed?

A

on the surface of ALL NUCLEATED CELLS

51
Q

Where are Class II MHC molecules expressed?

A

on the surface of macrophages, activated B cells, activated T cells, and thymus cells

52
Q

Are MHC molecules the same in every person?

A

no they mark our cells as “self” so they are unique to each individual person

53
Q

If T cells see “self” molecules attached to an MHC, what do they do?

A

nothing

54
Q

If T cells see foreign molecules attached to non-foreign MHC, what do they do?

A

activate to destroy anything foreign

55
Q

MHC’s stimulate the host’s immune response to a donor’s foreign tissue so they are responsible for what?

A

organ rejection

56
Q

In order to prevent rejection, two things must occur. What are they?

A
  1. the MHC between the donor and recipient must be as closely matched as possible
  2. the recipient will have to suppress the immune system pharmacologically
57
Q

Which class of MHCs are cytotoxic T cells activated by?

A

both I and II

58
Q

What class of MHCs are Helper T cells activated by?

A

just II

59
Q

describe the antigen presentation to T cells

A

the antigen gets ingested by the macrophage which chops it up and then presents it on their MHC protein receptor which can then bind to and activate a helper T cell

60
Q

The little piece of antigen that’s presented with the MHC is called an _______.

A

epitope

61
Q

To get activated, the Helper T cell must: (3 things)

A
  1. bind a Class II-MHC-epitope complex
  2. also bind adjoining proteins
  3. be stimulated by IL-1 and TNF from the presenting cell (paracrine activity)

(key in lock, secrete handshake, activated!)

62
Q

What is the job of cytotoxic T cells?

A

kill any cell that’s infected/cancerous

mercy killing

63
Q

Why are cytotoxic T cells activated by both Class I and II MHCs?

A

because they need to be activated by any cell that displays “non-self” with MHC

64
Q

Which are more specific to particular antigens….macrophages or B lymphocytes?

A
B lymphocytes 
(but they BOTH ingest the antigen and they BOTH attract Helper T cells when they display the antigen fragments along with the MHC)
65
Q

Cytotoxic T cells recognize host cells displaying invader/MHC complex and install ______ into the cell.

A

perforins

these work like the MAC attack putting holes in the membrane and killing the cells

66
Q

Are NK cells specific or non-specific to particular antigens?

A

non-specific, they are like “rogue cytotoxic T cells”

67
Q

If NK cells are non-specific, why are they still considered a part of specific immunity?

A

because they are ACTIVATED by exposure to helper T cells

68
Q

How do NK cells work?

A

they “externally digest” non-self cells

69
Q

How long does the primary immune response (1st exposure) usually take?

A

generally takes 10-17 days to occur after exposure

symptoms of illness occur during these days

70
Q

What happens during the primary immune response?

A

antigen-selected B and T cells proliferate into effector cells

71
Q

How long does a secondary immune response take to occur? (all other exposures after the first)

A

takes 2-7 days

greater response that occurs due to memory cells

72
Q

What is active immunity?

A

an immune response to a vaccine
it confers immunity because of the production of memory cells

vaccination = introduction of a microorganism or its antigens

73
Q

What is passive immunity?

A

comes from the administration of synthetically produced antibodies

NO memory cell production so there is NO long-term memory and immunity

74
Q

What immunity do we acquire from our mothers?

A

passive immunity, antibodies pass in the placenta (IgG)and breast milk (IgA)

75
Q

What do erythrocytes have instead of MHC proteins?

A

plasma membrane proteins and carbohydrates that can function as antigens

76
Q

Which blood type is the universal donor?

A

O

77
Q

Which blood type is the universal recipient?

A

AB

78
Q

If a person as blood type A, they will display type __ antigens on their RBCs and have anti-____ antibodies in their blood.

A

A antigens

anti-B antibodies