immunology Flashcards
Why do we have an immune system
To protect against invasion by foreign organisms
What are the two types of immunity that we have
innate and adaptive
What is part of the innate immunity
Macrophages, granulocytes, NK cells, complement, physical barrier, ect.
What is part of the adaptive immunity
T and B cells
Compare innate and adaptive immunity
the response time of the adaptive immunity is day Vs hours of innate
Innate has a limited and fixed specificity while the adaptive is highly diverse, improves during the course of the response
the innate response to repeat infection is the same as the initial response while the adaptive response is more rapid
What is the first barrier to infection
Epithelial surfaces (mechanical protection) joined by tight junctions
What is the initial precursor to all cells in the immune system
The bone marrow: stem cells
What are the circulating cells in the blood divided into?
erythrocytes (red blood cells)
leukocytes (white blood cells)
classification of white blood cells (leukocytes)
Granular (eosinophils, basophils, neutrophils)
agranular (lymphocytes, monocytes)
What is a phagocyte
Type of cell that has the ability to ingest and sometimes digest foreign particles, such as bacteria, dust or dye.
what are the types of phagocytes in the immune system
(monocytes:) macrophages dendritic cells (neutrophils) Neutrophil
Difference between phagocyte macrophage/dendritic cells and neutrophils
Neutrophils are mostly short lived (60-70% of leukocytes) while macrophages/dendritic cells are long lived - can be fixed or migratory
What are the characteristics of inflammation
- redness or vessel dilation
- heat
- swelling
- pain
Describe the process that leads to inflammation
- bacteria trigger macrophages to release cytokines and chemokines
- vasodilation and increased vascular permeability cause redness, heat, and swelling (increased blood flow)
- inflammatory cells migrate into tissue, releasing inflammatory mediators that cause pain
what are the changes that occur to the local blood vessels during inflammation
- dilation of the blood vessel- increased blood flow
- changes in adhesion molecules- allows blood cells to ‘stick’
- increased permeability- blood cells can move into the tissue
How are pathogens recognised by phagocytes?
- the macrophage expresses receptors for many bacterial constituents= PAMPs (pathogen associated molecular pattern receptors).
- bacteria binding to macrophages receptors initiate the release of cytokines and small lipid mediators of inflammation
- macrophages engulf and digest bacteria to which they bind
What are PAMPs
example
Pathogen associated molecular pattern receptors - on macrophages
bind to receptors which result in the activation and secretion of inflammatory mediators
example Toll like receptors (TLR)
What are the different macrophages in the body
They are found all over-
microglia: phagocytose dying neurons
Alveolar macrophages: respond to local surface-acting stimuli e.g. Irritants, asbestos by cytokine release
Spleen macrophages: immune function. phagocytosis of naturally dying cells, clearance of particulate agents
kuppfer cells: Exposed to gut derived microbial products. Cannot mount a respiratory burst
joint: synovial A cells: responsible for cytokines in arthritis ..
What is Phagocytosis
It is the internalisation of particulate matter by cells
What are the 4 stages of phagocytosis
- Binding to surface receptors e.g. PAMP receptors
- Engulfment into vacuole/ phagosome
- Fusion of phagosome with lysosome
- killing and degradation of bacterium by lysozyme, proteases, acid hydrolases, free radicals.
Why don’t tattoos fade?
because long-lived macrophages take up colloidal ink by phagocytosis and endocytosis in situ. when they die, new macrophages move in to phagocytose the dead cells, resulting in a permanent colouration
What do macrophages secrete once activated?
a range of cytokines:
IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, CXCL beta, IL-12
What secreted by macrophages can produce fever
IL-1, TNF- alpha and IL-6.
IL-6 function
Lymphocyte activation
increased antibody production