Immunity Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two types of barrier immunity?

A

Physical - skin, mucus, respiratory cilia, commensal organisms

Biochemical - antimicrobial effect - sebaceous secretions in skin, lysozyme in tears, spermine in sperm, gastric acidity

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2
Q

Define what is an antigen

A

Any substance capable of inducing a specific immune response

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3
Q

What are the differences between innate & adaptive immunity?

A

Innate - primary line of defence, immediate response, recognise certain threats, no antigen presentation, no clonal selection, no immunological memory

Adaptive - secondary line of defence, delayed response, recognise all threats, antigen presentation, clonal selection, immunological memory

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4
Q

What is the main function of neutrophils?

A

Phagocytosis (mainly innate)

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5
Q

What are the types of T lymphyocytes?

A

Cytotoxic, memory, helper, suppressor

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6
Q

What are the types of B lymphocytes?

A

Plasma cells, memory cells

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7
Q

What is the difference between monocytes & macrophages?

A

Monocytes are when they’re in the blood.

Become macrophages when in tissue.

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8
Q

What is the function of monocytes/macrophages?

A

Phagocytosis –> adaptive antigen presenting cells

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9
Q

What are eosinophils for?

A

Parasitic infections & allergic responses

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10
Q

What are basophils & mast cells for?

A

Inflammatory & hypersensitivity

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11
Q

What is involved in innate cell-mediated immunity?

A

Phagocytes -

  • Polymorphonuclear leukocytes - Neutrophils
  • Mononuclear phagocyte system - monocytes/macrophages
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12
Q

What is neutropenia?

A

Low neutrophil level in blood

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13
Q

What is the oxidative burst in phagocytosis?

A

The process of creating the toxic chemicals used to digest the ingested microbe

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14
Q

What is the role of natural killer cells in innate cell-mediated immunity?

A

Detects when cells lose MHC class I surface molecules → NK cell activation → inserts pore-forming molecules into target cell to pumps cytotoxic chemicals in

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15
Q

What is involved in innate humoral immunity?

A
  • Acute phase proteins (APPs) - released in inflammation/tissue injury for immediate/non-specific cytoxicity.
    E.g. CRP, pro-calcitonin, alkaline phosphatase, ferritin
  • Complement - Alternative and classical pathways
    Alternative - antibody independent cell lysis
    Classical - antibody dependent cell lysis
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16
Q

What are the differences between class I & II MHCs?

A

Class I - on human cells - natural antigens normal to you

Class II - on antigen presenting cells - monocytes/macrophages

17
Q

What is involved in adaptive cell-mediated immunity?

A

Antigen presented to T-cytotoxic cells.
Those that recognise the antigen replicate & differentiate.
Activated Tc cells attack the host cells presenting the Ag.
Memory Tc cells maintain immunological memory.

18
Q

What is involved in adaptive humoral immunity?

A

Antibodies - comprised to 2 heavy + 2 light chains, joined by a disulphide bond.
Heavy chains form constant region at base.
Antibody specificity determined by variable region.

19
Q

How are antibodies produced?

A

Microbes phagocytosed by APCs → present Ag to T-helper cells & stimulate B lymphocytes that recognise Ag → replicate & differentiate
B plasma cells produce antibodies that attack Ag & B memory cells to maintain immunological memory

20
Q

What is clonal selection?

A

Each B lymphocyte recognises a single Ag - specific response & memory

21
Q

What are cytokines?

A

A humoral response - control immune system.

e.g. interleukins, TNF, interferon’s, CSFs