Immune System

Question 1

What is the immune system?

Answer 1

Cells and organs that contribute to immune defences against infectious and non-infectious condition (self vs non self)

Question 2

What is infectious disease?

Answer 2

When the pathogen succeeds in evading and/or overwhelming the host’s immune defences

Question 3

What are the roles of the immune system? (4)

Answer 3

1. Pathogen recognition
   Cell surface and soluble receptors help identify what you are fighting and what is self vs non self. The receptors are located in key immune cells
2. Containing/eliminating the infection
   Killing and clearance mechanisms, dont want the infection to become systemic
3. Regulating itself
   Want Minimum damage to host
4. Remembering pathogens
   Preventing the disease from reoccurring, can remember the microbe and allows for faster secondary repsonses

Question 4

What are the two types of immunity? What are the differences?

Answer 4

-Innate (immediate protection)
Fast (secs)
Lack of specificity
No memory 
No change in intensity 

-Adaptive (long lasting protection)
Slow (days)
Specific (can distinguish between subtypes of bacteria)
Immunological memory (antibodies)
Changes in intensity

Question 5

What substances do phagocytes produce in order to trigger inflammation?

Answer 5

TNFa
IL1
IL6