Immune System Histology Flashcards
what are primary lymphoid organs?
-bone marrow and thymus
-central locations for blood and immune cell development
bone marrow
-red or yellow bone marrow that are located in the center of most bones
-red marrow contains red blood stem cells
-yellow marrow contains fat
what is bone marrow vasculature composed of?
arterioles which transition into a dense network of fenestrated sinusoids
what is the function of bone marrow?
bone marrow produces blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets
thymus gland
superior mediastinal retrosternal organ split into two lobes with a cortex and medulla
what is the function of the thymus?
-development of T cells
-progenitor cells from the bone marrow enter thymic medulla by high endothelial venules (HEVs)
what are secondary lymphoid organs?
-where lymphocytes are activated
-lymph nodes, spleen, mucosal-associated lymphoid tissues like tonsils, peyer’s patches, bronchus-associated lymphoid tissues (BALT)
-arranged as series of filters
lymph nodes
-bean-shaped, encapsulated clumps of tissue
-contain immune cells
-filter, immune response
-100-200 lymph nodes throughout the body
-swollen or painful lymph nodes —> sign of active immune system
spleen
-largest lymphoid organ
-found in the upper left abdomen, beneath the diaphragm
-composed of two tissue types: red pulp with vascular sinuses filled with blood and white pulp with lymphatic tissue
-filter for blood, break down aged red blood cells, and stores/breaks down platelets
mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)
-dispersed aggregates of nonencapsulated lymphoid tissue within mucosa
-local immune response at the mucosal surface
types of MALT
-gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT)
-bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT)
-nasal-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT)
peyer’s patches
-large masses of confluent lymphoid particles
-found in lamina propria and submucosa of ileum (part of the small intestine)
-protect against pathogenic growth in the intestine
bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT)
-intrapulmonary lymphoid tissue found in all lobes of the lungs and along the bronchi
-maintenance and regulation of lung mucosal immune homeostasis
circulatory system vs lymphatic system
-cardiovascular circulatory system is closed and contains a pump
-lymphatic system is open with no pump and lined with lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs)
-lymphatic drainage is facilitated by interstitial pressure, which is determined by a hydrostatic/oncotic equilibrium
high interstitial pressure —> lymphatic absorption
-when the interstitial pressure is greater than lymphatic pressure, fluid diffuses into the initial lymphatics
-facilitated by discontinuous basement membrane on the initial lymphatics
lymphatic absorption
initial lymphatics —> pre-collecting lymphatics —> collecting lymphatics
collecting lymphatics: morphology
-possess a continuous basement membrane, one-way valves, and SMCs
-muscle contraction drives fluid upstream and creates suction with pre-collecting lymphatics
overview of cells
multipotential hematopoietic stem cell (hemocytoblast) —> can become common myeloid progenitor or common lymphoid progenitor
common myeloid progenitor
can become a megakaryocyte, erythrocyte, mast cell, myeloblast
common lymphoid progenitor
can become a natural killer cell (large granular lymphocyte) or small lymphocyte
stain types
-hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)- nuclei stains purplish blue and the cytoplasm and extracellular matrix are pink
-toluidine blue stain- metachromatic properties and mast cell granules
-wright’s stain- mix of eosin and methylene blue, nuclei stains purplish blue, neutrophilic granules stain brown, eosinophilic granules stain red, erythrocytes stain pink, and lymphocyte cytoplasm stains pale blue
-immunohistochemistry- IHC antibody stains either nucleus or cytoplasm of a specific cell type and usually shows up brown but can be other colors
megakaryocytes
-largest cell in the bone marrow
-granular cytoplasm
-multinucleated with proplatelet extensions
-responsible for platelet generation- can form thousands of platelets from one cell, proplatelets are the extensions of long cytoplasmic processes, and fragmentation into platelets
megakaryocytes —> thrombocytes
-thrombocytes have an immune function
-form blood clots and stop bleeding
-express pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to bind to pathogens
-cytokine and chemokine release
-can activate macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells
platelets
-small
-disk shaped or spikey based on activation
-anucleate
-stain purplish blue in H&E due to granules