immunology key terms Flashcards
what are cytokines
proteins produced in response to infection, inflammation and tissue damage
what are interferons
cytokines
anti-viral activity
what is tumour necrosis factor alpha
pro-inflammatory
what are chemokines
control and direct cell migration
what are interleukins
various functions
what are antibodies
produced in response to antigen by B cells, deficiency can be life-threatening
what are T cells and B cells
mature cells constantly circulating through blood, lymph and secondary lymphoid tissues, inactive until meet pathogen/antigen, some short lived (memory B/T cells)
what do B cells do
produce antibodies
what do the different T cells do
helper = regulators
cytotoxic = kill virally infected body cells
what are NK (natural killer) cells
large granular lymphocytes, can detect and kill tumour cells and virally infected cells, and antibody-bound cells/ pathogens
what are mast cells
reside in tissues and protect mucosal surfaces
what are basophils and eosinophils
circulate in the blood, recruited to site of infection by inflammatory signals
what do mast cells, basophils and eosinophils do
produce histamine, heparin and proinflammatory cytokines
what is the complement system
proteins produced in liver that circulate blood as inactive precursor proteins, enter infected/inflamed tissues where they become activated – complement cascade 🡪 they promote inflammation and defence against certain bacteria
what cells are phagocytes
monocytes, macrophages and neutrophils
