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140 . Foundations of Anatomy and Clinical Practice > Immunity > Flashcards

Immunity Flashcards

1
Q

How does the skin provide a physical defence against pathogens?

A

Sweat glands and sebaceous glands secrete fatty acids which inhibit bacteria growing on the skin

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2
Q

What is the role of the mucociliary escalator?

A

Provides a physical defence against pathogens entering the lungs

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3
Q

Explain the defence provided by the mucociliary escalator to the lungs:

A

Ciliated cells ‘beat’ to push a watery saline layer of mucus towards the pharynx, on top of this watery layer is a thicker layer with dust and pathogens in.

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4
Q

What may damage the mucociliary escalator?

A

Smoking or Some general anaesthetics

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5
Q

What is meant by autoimmune disease?

A

Where the body begins to attack itself, the immune system is faulty

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6
Q

The immune system recognises materials as ‘self’ or ‘non-self’ and attacks the latter, what must happen to reduce the risk of attacking an organ when it has been transplanted?

A

Immunosuppressive medication is required

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7
Q

What are the main two parts of the immune system?

A

Innate immunity

Acquired (adoptive) immunity

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8
Q

What is innate immunity?

A

A defence present from birth, it works fast and is non-specific

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9
Q

What is acquired immunity?

A

(An acquired) defence which builds over time, it acts slowly but specifically and has memory to remember prior infections

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10
Q

What are the 4 cardinal signs of inflammation?

A

Heat
Redness
Swelling
Pain

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11
Q

Mast cells are attracted to sites of injury, what happens when the cells reach the injury?

A

They release histamine which diffuses into the blood vessels

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12
Q

What does histamine do when it enters the blood?

A

It causes vessels to dilate and therefore become ‘leaky’, this allows complement proteins to leave the vessels and attract phagocytes

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13
Q

Describe the process of inflammation following tissue injury:

A 
Release of chemical mediators (histamine)
Increased vasodilation (heat / redness)
Increased permeability (swelling / pain)
Attracted WBCs (phagocytosis)
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14
Q

What causes inflammation to appear red?

A

Histamines dilate the vessels around the damage meaning more blood flows to the area, causing it to appear redder

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15
Q

What causes inflammation to appear swollen?

A

Proteins leave the bloodstream as histamine makes vessels ‘leaky’, this decreases the pull of water into the vessels causing it to fill the space around the injury

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16
Q

What causes inflammation to appear hot?

A

Histamines dilate the vessels around the damage meaning more blood flows to the area, causing it to be hotter as blood is warmer than the outside of the body

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17
Q

What causes inflammation to be painful?

A

Pain receptors are triggered during the inflammatory response

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18
Q

Why is it beneficial that an inflammation is hot?

A

Increases the metabolic rate of cells causing quicker healing

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19
Q

The slowing of blood flow during inflammation allows margination and consequently diapedesis, what are these terms?

A

Margination - Leukocytes clinging to capillary walls

Diapedesis - Leukocytes passing through capillary walls

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20
Q

What is the thermoregulatory centre?

A

Hypothalamus

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21
Q

What is the body’s set temperature?

A

36.9 degrees celcius

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22
Q

What substance acts on the brain to cause a fever (elevated temperature)?

A

Pyrogen

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23
Q

Why does a fever cause people to shiver even when their temperature is higher than normal?

A

Pyrogen acts on the hypothalamus to alter the ‘default’ body temperature higher, so even when the temp dips below this you still feel cold and start to shiver

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24
Q

What are antipyretics such as paracetamol used for?

A

They produce cyclooxygenase (cox) which reduces the effect of pyrogen on the hypothalamus, decreasing the effects of a fever

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25
Q

What are the benefits of a fever (increased temperature)?

A

Leukocytes work better under a higher temperature

Bacteria we may want to kill are less effective

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26
Q

What are the costs of a fever (increased temperature)?

A

Brain damage can occur if temp goes above 42 degrees (rare)

Also feel unwell

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27
Q

What cells are involved in non-specific phagocytosis?

A

Macrophages
Neutrophils
Dendritic cells

28
Q

Simply, what is phagocytosis

A

Engulfing an entire cell / pathogen etc

29
Q

How does a phagocytosing cell know what to engulf?

A

Inside the cell there is a pattern recognition receptor (PRR) which recognises pathogen associated molecular markers (PAMP) on specific pathogens

30
Q

What initiates phagocytosis?

A

The binding of the pattern recognition receptor (PRR) to the pathogen associated molecular markers (PAMP)

31
Q

Explain the process of non-specific phagocytosis:

A

PRR binds to PAMP
Cytokines and cytotoxins released
Pathogen engulfed and digested

32
Q

All nucleated cells contain MHC’s, what are these?

A

Major Histocompatibility Complex, they are specific to an individual so cells can recognise local and foreign cells

33
Q

What are natural killer cells?

A

A non-specific type of lymphocyte which recognise cells which lack MHC’s (foreign cells)

34
Q

Some viruses or cancers can cause cells to lose / alter their MHC’s, what effect can this have?

A

The affected cells are destroyed by apoptosis

35
Q

What stops a natural killer cell from attacking any cell it comes across?

A

The Major Histocompatibility Complex is specific to an individual, therefore a killer cell recognises a cells which belong

36
Q

Explain apoptosis:

A

Natural killer cells recognise a cell without a MHC and release perforins and granzymes to destroy the cell

37
Q

What effect do perforins have on a cell?

A

Make pores in the cell membranes

38
Q

What effect do granzymes have on a cell?

A

They digest the cell from within

39
Q

Define the complement process:

A

A non-cellular mechanism comprising of a cascade (25) of plasma proteins

40
Q

What is produced by a complement and what does it do?

A

A membrane attack complex (MAC) which ruptures a pathogen

41
Q

What are the 5 strategies used by the innate immune system to respond to infection?

A 
Inflammation
Fever
Non-specific phagocytosis
Natural killer cells
Complement
42
Q

How many plasma proteins are involved in the complement process?

A

25 different proteins, all initiated by another

43
Q

Where can lysozymes be found?

A

Tears
Saliva
Nasal secretions
Sweat

44
Q

What is the function of lysozymes?

A

Cell lysis; the breakdown of the membrane

45
Q

Where can acid secretions be found?

A 
Sebum (in skin)
Hydrochloric acid (in stomach)
46
Q

What is the function of acid secretions?

A

Prevent microbial growth and kill microorganisms

47
Q

What is the function of mucus?

A

Traps microorganisms (and dust) so they cannot be released

48
Q

What is an interferon?

A

A protein produced by mast cells which interfere with virus production and infection

49
Q

What chemicals are involved in innate immunity?

A 
Surface chemicals (lysozomes, acids)
Histamine
Kinins
Interferon
Complement
Prostaglandins
Leukotrienes
Pyrogens
50
Q

What are kinins?

A

Proteins derived from plasma proteins, they cause vasodilation, increase permeability and stimulate pain receptors whilst attracting neutrophils

51
Q

What are pyrogens?

A

Chemicals released by neutrophils, monocytes and other cells which stimulates fever production

52
Q

What are the two categories of adaptive immunity?

A

Humoral (antibody-mediated)

Cell-mediated

53
Q

What is responsible for the mediation of the humoral response?

A

B lymphocytes

54
Q

What is responsible for the mediation of the cell-mediated response?

A

T lymphocytes

55
Q

Where do B lymphocytes originate?

A

Bone marrow

56
Q

Where do T lymphocytes originate?

A

Bone marrow

57
Q

Where do lymphocytes mature in the humoral response?

A

Bone marrow

58
Q

Where do lymphocytes mature in the cell-mediated response?

A

Thymus

59
Q

What type of receptor do lymphocytes have in the humoral response?

A

Antibody

60
Q

What type of receptor do lymphocytes have in the cell-mediated response?

A

T-cell receptors

61
Q

What is an antigen?

A

A biomolecule which binds to a specific antibody to stimulate an immune response

62
Q

Which type of pathogens does the humoral response fight?

A

Pathogens free in the bodily fluids

63
Q

What is responsible for detecting a pathogen in the humoral response?

A

Antigens in the fluid to detect pathogens

64
Q

Activation of B cell receptors results in the formation of what?

A

Plasma cells and memory cells

65
Q

Non specific host defence that exists prior to exposure to an antigen is called what?

A

Innate immunity

66
Q

What is the name for temperature rising chemicals?

A

Pyrogens

140 . Foundations of Anatomy and Clinical Practice (12 decks)

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