Immune System and Stress

Question 1

What is the first line of defence?

Answer 1

the skin, physical and chemical barriers (tears, sweat)

Question 2

What is the second line of defence?

Answer 2

nonspecific immune response, phagocytes, natural killer cells, inflammation etc.

Question 3

What is the third line of defence?

Answer 3

specific immune response, creation of antibodies

Question 4

What is the pathway of the specific immune response?

Answer 4

step 1: pathogen eaten by macrophage
step 2: macrophage displays portion of pathogen on surface
step 3: helper-t cell recognizes pathogen
step 4: activated helper t cell activates T and B cells

Question 5

What is the difference between cellular immunity and antibody immunity?

Answer 5

Cell: carried by T cells, infected cells are killed by cytotoxic T cells
Anti: carried by B cells, antibodies produced, antibodies bind to antigens

Question 6

What is the primary immune response?

Answer 6

first time invader, no immune response for a few days, 10-15 days antibody production

Question 7

What is the secondary immune response?

Answer 7

rapid response to second invader, antibody production is increased dramatically.

Question 8

What is active immunity?

Answer 8

actually being exposed to a virus, your body creates its own antibodies, (vaccinations help_

Question 9

What is passive immunity?

Answer 9

anitbodies are given to a person from the blood of another person

Question 10

What is an allergy? What are the two types of allergic reactions?

Answer 10

exaggerated response by the immune system.
immediate: occurs in seconds
delayed: takes longer and lasts longer

Question 11

What do the supressor t cells do?

Answer 11

they get activated once no more pathogens are there, and stop t cell production

Question 12

How do epinephrine and norepinephrine affect lymphocytes?

Answer 12

immediate exposure: increase lymphocytes
longer exposure: decrease natural killer cells

Question 13

What effect does cortisol have on the body?

Answer 13

inhibits the productions of all white blood cells

Question 14

What is the immune response to acute stressors?

Answer 14

redistribution of immune cells, immediate response of cortisol is to strengthen the immune system, no attention payed to B and T cells

Question 15

What is the immune response to short-term stressors?

Answer 15

decrease in lymphocytes, increase in cytokine production

Question 16

What is the immune response to chronic stressors?

Answer 16

decrease in TH1 cellular and TH2 humoral immune response, decrease in non-specific immune responses, persistent inflammatory acitivty

Question 17

How do the prenatal exposures to stress affect immune system?

Answer 17

Males natural killer cells cytotoxicity were low and for women B-cell suspension was low

Question 18

How does age affect the immune system?

Answer 18

immune system weakens with age,

Question 18

What did the influenza vaccine case prove?

Answer 18

the younger adults reacted better, but the non stressed group do better than stressed group. Stress affects immune system, age affects immune system, both worsen immune system

Question 19

What are possible probems related to immune dysfunction?

Answer 19

Cancer, Cold flu, Wound healing, infection

Question 20

What does stress and cancer have to do with eachother?

Answer 20

stress may not cause cancer, but it affects its progression. It also affects the responses to treatment.

Question 21

What do beliefs and cancer have in common?

Answer 21

those who have more beliefs are doing better,better support system etc.

Question 22

How did psychological profiles affect healthy and ill children?

Answer 22

healthier kids were more extroverted and less anxious/depressed. Weaker personalilties have more infections. But dont know if personality affects sickness or if sickness affects personality

Question 23

What affects the risk of development of a cold?

Answer 23

smoking, exercising, sleeping

Question 24

Why might pain influence wound healing?

Answer 24

neuroendocrines and immune fucntions are relevant to wound repair

Question 25

What is the results of the pain and wound healing in surgical patients?

Answer 25

They arent healing because the stress of the pain causes them to heal slower, and not the pain itself

Question 26

What did the stress, cortisol and wound healing with therapy show?

Answer 26

low levels of cytokines at site of wound were found in participants with higher cortisol levels. Slower healing groups showed higher stress levels, lower optimism and higher cortisol