Immunology Flashcards
What is an antigen
foreign molecules on the surface that trigger an immune response.
Describe phagocytosis
*Pathogen engulfed by the phagocyte.
* pathogen enters the cytoplasm in a vesicle (phagosome)
*Lysosomes fuse with phagosome releasing hydrolytic digestive enzymes.
*Lysosome enzymes hydrolyse the pathogen.
* Waste materials are released from the cell by exocytosis
*antigens presented on the cell surface membrane and the phagocyte becomes an antigen presenting cell (APC)
Why is there constantly new vaccines for diseases?
*pathogens DNA can mutate regularly cause a change in their genes which therefore cuases a change i n shape due to different tertiary structure.
*lymphocytes/ memory cells are then not able to bind to the antigen.
This is antigen variabilty
What is an antibody?
Quaternary structure proteins (4 polypeptide chains)
● Secreted by B lymphocytes eg. plasma cells in response to specific antigens
● Bind specifically to antigens forming antigen-antibody complexes
What is agglutination
*when an antibody is able to bind to multiple same pathogens at the same time, leading them to form a big clump
Explain B cell activation
*antibody binds to antigen
*B cell takes in antigen thru endocytosis
*B cell binds with T helper cell receptor and activates it for clonal selection.
*they then undergo mitosis to produce plasma/ B memory cells
What are the roles of plasma and memory cells?
*plasma- produce antibodies
*memory- divide very rapidly into plasma cells and produce antibodies
What is an antigen presenting cell
- one of the host’s cells invaded by a pathogen and is displaying the antigen on its cell surface membrane
What do T-helper cells do?
*release cytokines
*trigger the maturation of B-lymphocytes into plasma cells
* activation of cytotoxic T cells
Role of cytotoxin T cells
*attach to the foreign antigens of infected cells and
*secrete toxic substances that destroy he infected body cells, and pathogen inside
Describe the response of T lymphocytes to a foreign antigen (the cellular
response)
Specific T helper cells with complementary receptors bind to antigen on antigen-presenting cell → activated and divide by mitosis to form clones which stimulate:
● Cytotoxic T cells → kill infected cells / tumour cells (by producing perforin)
● Specific B cells
● Phagocytes → engulf pathogens by phagocytosis
Describe the response of B lymphocytes to a foreign antigen (the humoral
response)
- Clonal selection:
● Specific B lymphocyte with complem recep binds to antigen
● This is then stimulated by helper T cells (which releases cytokines)
● divides (rapidly) by mitosis to form clones - Some differentiate into B plasma cells → secrete large amounts of (monoclonal) antibody
- Some differentiate into B memory cells → remain in blood for secondary immune response
Explain how antibodies lead to the destruction of pathogens
● Antibod bind to antigens on pathogens form an antigen-antibody complex
○ Specific tertiary structure variable region binds to complementary antigen
● Each antibody binds to 2 pathogens at a time causing agglutination (clumping) of pathogens
● Antibodies attract phagocytes
● Phagocytes bind to the antibodies and phagocytose many pathogens at once
What is a vaccine?
● Injection of antigens from (dead or weakened) pathogens
● Stimulating formation of memory cells
Explain how vaccines provide protection to individuals against disease
- Specific B lymphocyte with complementary receptor binds to antigen
- Specific T helper cell binds to antigen-presenting cell and stimulates B cell
- B lymphocyte divides by mitosis to form clones
- differentiate into B plasma cells which release antibodies
- Some into B memory cells
- On secondary exposure to antigen, B memory cells rapidly divide by mitosis to produce B plasma cells
- These release antibodies faster and at a higher concentration