Immunology 1: Intro to Immunology

Question 1

Which cells make up the innate immune system?

Answer 1

Mast cell, NK cells, basophils, neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cell

Question 2

Name the functions of the innate immune system

Answer 2

• Recruitment of immune cells

- Phagocytosis and oxidative killing

Question 3

What are the different types of T cells?

Answer 3

• T helper cells (CD4+)

- Cytotoxic T cells (CD8+)

Question 4

Describe the functions of a dendritic cell

Answer 4

• Sentinel for the immune system
• Activates the adaptive immune system
• Internalises pathogen and processes it into peptides which it presents (antigen)
• Naive T cells are then activated

Question 5

How do T helper cells facilitate the activation of other immune cells?

Answer 5

The production and release of cytokines

Question 6

What are cytokines and what is their function?

Answer 6

• Large and heterogeneous soluble proteins

- Regulate and co-ordinate the cells of the innate and adaptive immune response

Question 7

Name the factors that cause cytokines to be produced

Answer 7

• Normal haematopoiesis
• Microbes, tissue damage and other antigens
• Produced by macrophages and T helper cells for example

Question 8

What are NK cells and how do they work?

Answer 8

• Part of the innate system
• Important against intracellular pathogens
• They can kill infected cells
• They produce IFN-g which helps to stimulate macrophages, Th1 cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells

Question 9

When do we start producing the different antibodies?

Answer 9

• IgM: produced as a foetus
• IgG: produced after birth
• IgA: produced 1-2months after birth (breast milk contains IgA)

Question 10

What is opsonization?

Answer 10

The tagging of a microbe so that it is phagocytosed more easily and efficiently

Question 11

What is the complement cascade?

Answer 11

An enzyme cascade system which can be activated to help the immune response

Question 12

Which antibodies are released first when the B cells are differentiated into plasma cells?

Answer 12

• IgM is first followed by a small amount of IgG

- Memory B cells are also produced at the same time

Question 13

How is the complement activated?

Answer 13

• Chemostasis of phagocytes to sites of inflamm
• Opsonisation
• Lysis of micro-organisms
• Maintain solubility of Ag/Ab complexes