Immunology & Vaccines p1 Flashcards
Immunity definition
Protection against microorganisms or harmful antigens
Antigens definition
Molecules that stimulate immune response, usually organic origin
“Self” cells meaning
Cells & substances of the normal animal body that do not stimulate an immune response
“Foreign” cells meaning
Cells or substances that are not “self”
What structures and cells are involved in immune protection? (4)
All structures & cells are involved!
1. Lymph nodes/tonsils/GALT
2. Thymus
3. Spleen
4. Cells in blood & tissue
- Lymphocytes
- Granulocytes
- Macrophages
- Mast cells
Nonspecific immunity, what is it?
Immediate & similar no matter the antigen
Specific immunity, what is it?
Requires identification of the antigen & then development of a defense specific to that antigen
Examples of nonspecific (4) and specific (2) immunity
- Nonspecific:
- Physical barriers
- Granulocytes
- Macrophages
- Mast cells - Specific:
- Lymphocytes
- Macrophages
What is the first line of defense for nonspecific immunity?
Epithelial cells
Cytokines are ___ messengers produced by many types of cells that regulate immune response. They are produced during ____.
- Chemical
- Inflammation
Chemokines is a group of cytokines that specifically attract ____ cells to an area of damage/infection.
White cells
- Granulocytes
- Macrophages
Purpose of each cell involved in innate immunity:
1. Macrophage/Monocyte
2. Neutrophil (PMN)
3. Eosinophil
4. Basophil
5. Mast Cell
- Phagocytosis & Presentation to lymphocytes.
- Phagocytic & Anti-bacterial
- Anti-parasite & Immunity (allergy)
- Unknown - Protection of mucosal surfaces? (allergy).
- Protection of mucosal surfaces (allergy)
Complement, what is it?
What does it cause? (3)
A group of plasma proteins that are activated by bacterial wall components. Activations cause:
- Leukocyte chemotaxis (opsonization)
- Damage to bacterial cell walls (lysis)
- Histamine release from mast cells (inflammation)
Opsonization, what is it?
Optimizes bacterial engulfment by phagocytes
Interferon, what is it?
A cytokine released by cells infected with virus. Interferon message to neighboring cells prevents viral replication in new cells.
(important related to vaccines)
Natural killer cells, what are they?
Specific types of lymphocytes that recognizes & destroys cells infected with virus
Epithelial cells primary role is to block entry of ___. It makes a selective ___ barrier between the “___” & “___.”
Epithelial cells may produce ___ and may possess motile ___. They also produce ___ (proteins that alter the behavior of other cells) and ___ (proteins that attract other cells).
- Microorganisms
- Permeable
- “Inside” & “Outside”
- Mucins
- Cilia
- Cytokines
- Chemokines
Diapedesis, what is it?
Neutrophils climb through the blood vessel walls to get into the tissue to get to the area of injury/inflammation.
This occurs with a chemokine release from the epithelial cells (that have been damaged) call to the white cells in the bloodstream.
T/F: Complements enhance the uptake by phagocytes
True
Complements will coat & wrap around the ____ and will act as a signal booster. It then will begin the ___ of specific pathogens. The ___ will be called and its activity will enhance due to the ____.
- Pathogen
- Lysis
- Macrophages
- Complements
Describe the steps & timing of innate immunity after infection (7)
- Barriers work within seconds
- Epithelial cells will release cytokines & chemokines within seconds (when damaged)
- Complements will wrap around pathogen within minutes.
- Cytokines/chemokines (inflammatory cascade) are enhanced & starts within minutes.
- Last up to days/months - Neutrophils respond within minutes of cyto/chemokines
- Monocytes/macrophages respond hours-days.
- Communicate with specific immune system
- Best at phagocytosis - NK cells will take hours to days to get to infection & respond.
The bodies lymph nodes/lymphocytes produce antibodies in response to “___” protein as part of its normal response to disease.
- Foreign
Specificity, in regard to the specific immune system, means what?
Attack is targeted against a specific antigen
Memory, in regard to the specific immune system, does/is what?
- Ability to have a fast, amplified response after the initial exposure to a specific antigen (anamnestic response).
- Memory may last years after initial exposure to specific antigen!
