Immunity Flashcards
Describe the process by which vaccines provide immunity
- contain dead or attenuated pathogens
- MACROPHAGE presents antigen on surface
- specific T cells with complementary receptors bind
- stimulate B cells with complementary antibody on surface to divide by mitosis
- differentiate into plasma cells which produce LARGE AMOUNTS OF antibodies
- plus memory cells are produced
Difference between active and passive immunity
Active
- production of antibodies by plasma cells
- slow acting since it takes time to produce antibodies
- long lasting as memory cells produced
Passive
- antibodies are received from outside source
- fast acting
- short term since antibodies are broken down
Organelles involved in production of viruses
- mitochondria to release energy
- ribosomes to synthesise proteins
Describe how an antibody works
- binding sites are complementary in shape to antigens
- hinges allow arms to spread to allow attachment of antigens at different distances
- cause pathogen to agglutinate by joining together so it is easier for phagocytes to engulf
- neutralise by binding to pathogen and prevent them from reaching and harming cells
- act as markers to stimulate phagocytes
Why are viruses unaffected by antibiotics
- lack a cell wall for them to interfere with
- cannot pass cell membrane to reach them inside cells
Antibiotic effect on bacteria
Inhibit enzymes required for synthesis of normal cell walls so bacteria killed from cell lysis (from osmosis)
Antigen
- FOREIGN protein
- triggers an immune response by lymphocytes / production of ANTIBODY
Why do some vaccines have booster injections
- immunological memory decreases overtime
- more antigens so more memory cells produced
- large amount of antibodies are produced rapidly if person was to become reinfected
How do pathogens cause disease
- produce toxins
- damage/kill cells
Reasons for decrease in vaccinations
- more people aware of harmful side effects / risks
- fewer cases of disease
- insufficient vaccine available/ too expensive to distribute
Herd Immunity
- most people are vaccinated so disease cannot spread
- unvaccinated people less likely to contact infected people
Describe and explain curve for primary immune response
- slow increase in antibody concentration as it takes time for phagocytes to stimulate T cells and produce plasma cells by clonal expansion to make antibodies
- plasma cells die reducing antibody production
Describe and explain curve for secondary immune response
- rapid increase in antibody concentration as memory cells differentiate into plasma cells and produce antibodies
- start with memory cells so a larger amount of antibodies produced
Function of cytotoxic T cells
- secrete cytotoxic chemicals called perforins
- create pores in plasma membrane of infected cells
- cytotoxins enter and destroy pathogen
Phagocytosis
- phagocyte identifies pathogen as a foreign body by antigen
- pathogen engulfed by phagocyte and enclosed in vesicles called phagosome
- lysosomes fuse with wall of phagosome and release lysozymes which hydrolyse the cell wall of pathogen and destroy it
- antigens presented on surface
Pathogen
Microorganism that causes disease
Examples of foreign antigens
Pathogens
Organ transplants
Toxins
Abnormal body cells (cancer)
Clonal Selection
Only lymphocytes specific to a certain antigen are activated
Describe advantage of memory cells
- identify original antigen
- divide rapidly in response to future infection
- produce large quantity of antibodies at a faster rate