Immunology - The Innate System

Question 1

Name the ways pathogens can be transmitted

Answer 1

• Respiratory or Salivary spread
• Faecal-oral spread
• Venereal Spread
• Vectors

Question 2

What are the two types of Immunity?

Answer 2

Innate and Acquired Immunity

Question 3

How long does it approximately take for the adaptive immune system to eliminate a pathogen?

Answer 3

~ 7-10 days

Question 4

What does the innate immune system consist of?

Answer 4

• skin
• mucous membranes and secretions
• phagocytic cells
  Anti-microbial proteins
• Inflammatory response
• Natural Killer Cells

Question 5

What are the two major arms that make up the Acquired Immune System?

Answer 5

• Humoral Response (where antibodies are generated)

- Cell-mediated Response (where Cytotoxic Lymphocytes fight fight against infection)

Question 6

The Innate System is made up of Biochemical and Chemical barriers, what do they consist of?

Answer 6

Biomchemical: Lysozyme, Sebaceous gland secretions and Commensal Organisms

Chemical: Barriers, Mucus, Cilia Lining in Trachea, acid in stomach and skin

Question 7

What are the major functions of the internal defences?

Answer 7

• Non-specifically stop pathogens getting in
• Identification and elimination of foreign, non-self Antigens
• Recruitment of immune cells to the site of infection through the production of cytokines
• Activation of the adaptive immune system

Question 8

What are the Barrier defences that exist in the body?

Answer 8

• Skin
• Mucus membranes of the respiratory urinary and reproductive tracts. The mucus raps and allows for the removal of microbes
• Saliva
• Acid in Stomach
• Natural bacterial microflora that exist in the stomach

Question 9

What does the Compliment System do?

Answer 9

• When stimulated by one of several triggers, proteases in the system cleave specific proteins to release cytokines and initiate an amplifying cascade of further cleavages
• Activation can occur spontaneously on certain pathogens or by antibody binding to the pathogen
• The pathogen becomes coated with complement proteins that facilitate pathogen removal phagocytosis and can also kill certain pathogens directly

Question 10

What are the three pathways that can trigger the compliment cascade? What is their main objective?

Answer 10

• Classical Pathway
• Lectin Pathway
• Alternative Pathway

They will all end up creating an inflammatory response which will draw more immune cells to the area.