IMMUNOLOGY Flashcards
describe innate immunity
first line of defence, present at birth and responds rapid, no specificity or memory (wont improve if come into contact again)
what is the role of NK cells
they are a part of the innate immune system and kill tumour cells & virally infected cells
describe the adaptive immune system
second line of defence, involves the building up memory of encountered infections so can mount an enhanced response specific to the pathogen/foreign substance.
what is the recognition function
to IDENTIFY foreign substances
what is the effector function
to REMOVE foreign substances (to get rid of whatever is recognised as foreign)
describe humoral immunity
Humoral immunity is an antibody-mediated response that occurs when foreign material - antigens - are detected in the body. This mechanism is primarily driven by B lymphocytes
describe cellular immunity
this process does not involve antibodies - it is mediated by lymphocytes which recognise specific pathogenic structures called antigens b and t lymphocytes
what is the role of helper t cells
help b cells produce antibodies
what is the role of cytotoxic t cells
destroy own cells which have been infected eg with virus
role of the monocyte in the immune system
a critical component of the INNATE immune system. They play a role in both the inflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses.
role of eosinophils in immune response
involved in parasite response (granulocyte)
role of basophil in immune response
release cytokines, histamine and leukotrienes to amplify immune response involved in the immune response! (granulocyte)
role of lymphocytes B and T in the immune response
produce antibodies to detect foreign bodies and destroy self-cells which are infected with virus
role of neutrophil in immune response
front line of defence, release cytokines and recruit other cells of the immune system AMPLIFYING the immune response (granulocyte)
role of mast cell in immune response
contains histamine and heparin (an anti-coagulant) and bind to harmful pathogens
what are the KEY factors to immunity
CLONAL EXPANSION which produces more activated cells and memory cells. This gives more rapid, more effective response
where are immunoglobulins present
plasma, tissues, secretions, and lymphatics
name the 5 classes of immunoglobulins
IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, IgE - THESE ALL PROVIDE RECOGNITION AND EFFECTOR FUNCTIONS
what is compliment
the compliment system, (aka compliment cascade), is a part of the immune system that enhances (complements) the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to clear microbes and damaged cells from an organism, promote inflammation, and attack the pathogens cell membrane.
name the pathways involved in compliment
classical, alternative and lectin pathways , these pathways all end in (C3 - C3b + C3a)
role of C3b in compliment
it can feedback into alternative pathways or cause opsonisation - deposited on microorganism surface and renders it to phagocytosis
what does MHC stand for
major histocompatibility complex
describe the two types of lymphocytes
B cells - first line of defence, these cells are designed to produce anti-bodies specific to certain trigger antigens, involved with PLASMA cells.
T cells 0 the t lymphocytes help the immune system in 2 ways. First they can recognize and destroy antigens directly. Secondly, T cells can release chemical mediators that tell other defensive cells to try and fight the foreign invader.
what makes up the structure of an immunoglobulin
2 identical heavy chains
2 identical light chains
at the end terminous of the immunoglobulin on each of the chains we have variable regions
ALL IMMUNOGLOBULINS ARE STRUCTURALLY SIMILAR
Immunoglobulins have a DUAL function (same on both sides), where is the recognition function carried out?
through the FAB arms
describe the different types of LIGHT chains
we have TWO types :
LAMBDA and KAPPA - we find these in all antibody (Ig) classes (all 5).
ALL OF THE LIGHT CHAINS FOLD UP INTO 2 GLOBULAR DOMAINS - VL domain and CL domain
what does the heavy chain determine in an immunoglobulin
it determine the CLASS of the antibody/immunoglobulin
HEAVY CHAINS FOLD UP INTO 4/5 GLOBULAR DOMAINS -VH, CH1, CH2, CH3 (and CH4)
what happens with the antigen binding site and the epitope
they both fit together sort of like a key to a lock or a hand into a glove. This is describing the complimentary of heir 3d structures
where do we find the binding site of an antigen?
the tip of each of the fab arms.
A unique 3d structure which is the site for the binding antigen. The only one that can bind to this will be the one that has a COMPLIMENTARY shape to that of the binding site!!!! - KEY AND LOCK THEME
