Immunity

Question 1

What is Natural (Innate) immunity?

Answer 1

Natural Immunity, resistance, protection provided by the epithileal barrier and process of inflammation.

Question 2

What is Active/Adaptive immunity?

Answer 2

A slow to develop, LONG TERM form of immunity with memory. Rapidly targets and eradicates a second infection with a particular disease-causing microorganism.

Two Types:

Active

Passive

Question 3

How is Active (Acquired) immunity developed?

Answer 3

Adaptive immunity develops from the inflammatory response triggering an adaptive process that builds long term immunity.

Question 4

What are natural/innate immunity barriers?

Answer 4

Physical, mechanical and biochemical barriers

Physical: tight junctions in epithileal cells;

Mechanical: washing of cells due to sneezing, vomiting, urination.

Biochemical Barriers: Mucous, sweat, perspiration, saliva, tears, earwax

Question 5

What is Passive Acquired Immunity?

Answer 5

A form of Acquired Immunity; Does not involve the host’s immune response at all.

Occurs when preformed antibodies or T-Lymphocytes are transferred from a donor to the recipient.

Question 6

What are some examples of Passive Acquired Immunity?

Answer 6

Ex 1. The passage of maternal antibodies across the placenta to the fetus.

Ex 2. Using immunotherapy in a clinic for a specific disease.

Ex. 3 Unvaccinated individuals exposed to a certain infectious agent will be given immunoglobulins that are prepared from individuals who already have antibodies against that particular pathogen.

Question 7

How do Active Acquired Immunity and Passive Acquired Immunity differ?

Answer 7

Active Acquired Immunity is long lived

but

Passive Acquired Immunity is short lived because the donor’s atnibodies or T-Cells are eventually destroyed.

Question 8

How do you determine if a person is utilizing active or passive immunity?

Answer 8

Depending on whether the antibodies or T cells are produced by the individual in response to antigen or are administered directly from a donor.

Question 9

What is the foundation of any successful immune response?

Answer 9

Specific recognition of the antigen, followed by a set of complex intercellular communications.

Question 10

How does the immune response recognize and respond?

Answer 10

1. Antibodies recognize the antigen
2. Receptors on the surface of B or T cells recognize the antigen as well.

3 .Complex intercellular communications take place among a large variety of atigen presenting cells and lymphocytes.

Question 11

Describe specificity in Adaptive Immunity.

Answer 11

Each T or B cell recognizes only one antigen, but together a group of T or B cells recognize a host of foreign antigens.

Question 12

Describe Characteristics of Adaptive Immunity.

Answer 12

1. It works together with innate immunity (the inflammation response)
2. Each T or B cell recognizes only one anitgen but a group of T or B cells together recognize a host of foreign antigen
3. Has Memory-Confers long term protection

Question 13

What are B lymphocytes responsible for?

Answer 13

B lymphocytes are responsible for humoral immunity mediated by circulating antigens.

Question 14

What are T lymphocytes responsible for?

Answer 14

T lymphocytes are responsible for cell-mediated immunity, in which they kill targets directly or stimulate the activity of other leukocytes.

Question 15

What is an antigen?

Answer 15

A molecule that can react with ANTIBODIES or AnTIGEN RECEPTORS on B or T cells.

Question 16

If an antigen is immunogenic what will it induce?

Answer 16

It will induce an immune response resulting in the production of antibodies or functional T cells.

Question 17

What criteria influcences the degree to which an antigen is immunogenic?

Answer 17

1. being foreign to the host ** most important**
2. being appropriate in size
3. having an adequate chemical complexity
4. being present in sufficient quantity

Question 18

What is immunogenicity?

Answer 18

Immunogenicity is the ability to induce a humoral and/or cell mediated immune response.

Allows the body to recognize the difference between their own antigens and foreign antigens.

Question 19

Which molecules are most immunogenic?

Answer 19

Large sized molecules (those bigger than 10,000 daltons)

• protiens
• polysaccharides
• nucleic acids

Question 20

Which molecules are not immunogenic?

Answer 20

Low molecular weight molecules such as:

• amino acids
• monosaccharides
• fatty acids
• purine and pyrimadine bases.

Question 21

What are haptens?

Answer 21

Low molecular weight molecules that are too small to be immunogenic but can become immunogenic when paired with a larger, carrier molecule.

Question 22

What is an allergen?

Answer 22

An antigen that produces an allergic response.

Question 23

How does chemical complexity affect immunogenicity?

Answer 23

Molecules made up of amino acids like tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine increase immunogenicity greatly!

Molecules made up of amino acid Alanine are not very immunogenic.

Question 24

How does quanitity of antigens affect immunogenicity?

Answer 24

High or low extremes of antigens may be unable to elicit an immune response; can produce a state of tolerance rather than immunity.

Question 25

If antigens meet all four criteria to be most immunogenic, the quality and instensity of the immune response may still be affected. Why?

Answer 25

Additional factors affect immunogenicity including:

1. The route and vehicle of antigenic entry (Ex. vaccine routes)
2. Can also be altered by being delivered with certain substances called adjuvants
3. Genetic makeup can also affect immunogenicity.

Question 26

What is an example of failed immunogenecity?

Answer 26

Small percentage of population fails to produce a measurable immune response to the most common vaccines, depsite multiple injections.

Question 27

What is Humoral Immunity?

Answer 27

Primarily protects agains bacteria and viruses.

Deactivates microorganisms

Activates inflammatory mediators.

Immunity that is mediated by B cells

Question 28

What is Cell-Mediated Immunity?

Answer 28

Cell mediated immunity:

1. Does not involve antibodies
2. Rather involves the activation of phagocytes, antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes
3. The release of various cytokines in response to an antigen.

Primarly protects against viruses and cancers.

Question 29

What is the purpose of cluster differentiation (CD) molecules?

Answer 29

CD molecules play a part in recognition and response of T Cells.

Question 30

What is the concept of clusters of CD in recognizing and responding of T cells?

Answer 30

CD is a format for labeling a very large number of protiens that are found on the surface of many cells that play a part in the acquired immune response.