Immunology 1.A Flashcards
What is an immune response?
The immune response is how your body recognizes and defends itself against bacteria, viruses, and substances that appear foreign and harmful
What are antigens, what do they bind to, and what do they look like?
Any substance in nature can be recognized as an antigen (typically large molecules like microbial proteins or microbial polysaccharides) and they bind to T cells and B cells.
Key note: They immune system does not normally response to its own antigens (self-antigens).
Which is better infection or vaccination?
Infections are much better because they contain more antigens which is better than vaccination.
What are cytokines? Cytokine mechanism of action? Main regulation?
Cytokines are proteins proceeded by many cells in the body that regulate the development and functions of the immune cells. Cytokines bind to a cytokine receptor to trigger activity such as division, growth proliferation, or triggering its own cytokines.
They are soluble signaling molecules that regulate activities of immune cells including pro- and anti-inflammatory activities.
What are Chemokines?
Special group of cytokines that regulate leukocyte migration to sites infection of inflammation.
What is TNF and what 2 things is it heavily involved in?
Tumor Necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) is the major pro inflammatory cytokine invoked in RA and Sepsis.
What is the innate immune responses?
The innate immune system is the first-line defense against microbes, carried out by mechanisms prior to exposure. Repetitive exposure does not change efficiency
Speed of innate vs adaptive immune systems?
Innate immune responses are relatively non-specific and occur much more rapidly than adaptive responses.
Immune functions - epithelial cells
Form protective barriers to infections (skin, mucosal surfaces) and secrete antimicrobial factors.
Phagocytes immune function?
Destroy microbes by the process of engulfment (phagocytosis) and/or production of antimicrobial molecules.
Natural killer Cells immune responses?
NK cells destroy microbes, virus-infected cells, and damaged/transformed cells such as cancer cells.
Complement?
Complement is a system of plasma proteins that can be activated directly by pathogens or indirectly by pathogen-bound antibody, leading to a cascade of reactions that occurs on the surface of pathogens and generates active components with various effector functions.
What is Adaptive immunity?
Adaptive immunity (specific immunity or acquired immunity) are stimulated by antigens and carried out by B and T cells; cell-mediated or humoral.
What are Humoral responses?
Carried out by antibodies (produced by B cells) that are proteins that bind to antigens in extracellular environments.
What are cell-mediated responses?
Carried out by T-cells and are required to for destruction of microbes surviving within host cells, especially viruses.
Immunological memory?
Ability of the adaptive immunity to respond more quickly to subsequent exposure to the same antigen.
What is primary adaptive responses?
Primary adaptive responses are when naive T and B cells are activated by antigens in secondary lymphoid tissues (Lymph nodes, spleen, or mucosal). Once activated, they undergo clonal proliferation and subsequently multiple and divide into effector B and T cells and memory B and T cells.
Know this diagram on the back!
How are immune cells created?
Immune cells are derived from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HSCs differentiate into lymphoid and myeloid progenitors that further branch out to the more specific cell types associated with adaptive and innate immunity.
Megakaryotes are derived from and develop into what?
Myeloid precursor and fragment into platelets.
What are polymorphonuclear leukocytes?
Polymorphonuclear leukocytes are Phagocytes (with irregular shaped nuclei; termed “granular”) that destroy bacteria, fungi, and parasites. They also regulate innate and adaptive responses, and contribute to inflammation.
The three are neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils.
What are banded neutrophils? What is a Left shift?
Banded neutrophils have a “C” or “S” appearance and are about half way through maturation from Myleocyte to mature, segmented, neutrophil. A left shift occurs when there is more abundance of banded neutrophils in the body. This is often associated with a severe bacterial infection (low mature neutrophils to fight).
What do elevated numbers of hyperhsegmented neutrophils indicate?
They indicate a problem with RBC development.
