Immunophysiology Flashcards
What did Edward Jenner achieve?
What was his method?
- Invented the vaccine
- Pus taken from a cowpox pustule
- Inserted into the arm of a boy
- The boy was vaccinated
What are the two pathways of removing pathogens?
- Innate/Natural immunity
- Adaptive/Acquired immunity
Summary of natural immunity
- Cellular and humoral elements remove pathogens
- Not antigen specific
- Immediate reaction
- Activated by toll-like receptor
Summary of aquired immunity
- Production of specific antibodies
- Response can be humoral or cellular
Which type of antigen aren’t antibodies produced against
Major histocompatibility complex
Innate and active immune processes are divided into 3 phases:
- Afferent phase
- Central Phase
- Efferent Phase
What occurs during the Afferent phase of innate immunity?
Responsive immune cells are prepared
What occurs during the central phase of innate immunity?
Specific immunoglobulins (Abs) produced in large quanitites
What occurs during the Efferent phase of innate immunity?
Non-self matter is eliminated
Give the organs of the Primary immune system
- Thymus
- Bursa
- Embryonic liver
- Bone marrow (Red and yellow)
Give the organs of the secondary immune system
- Lymph nodes
- Spleen
- MALT (Mucosa assoicated lymph tissue)
- GALT (Gut associated lymph tissue)
Which long-term process is shown in the figure?

The involution of the thymus over a lifetime
What are macrophages derived from?
Monocytes
Which cells can kill viruses-infected and tumour cells without a previous encounter?
Natural killer cells
Natural killer cells don’t require binding to…
MHC-Ag complex
They can kill tumour cells that have low levels of MHC molecules
Which cell surface markers are absent from NK cells?
CD4 and CD8 antigens
NK cells posess … which prevent lysis of cells with MHC molecules
Killer inhibitory receptors
cells bind to these to avoid being eliminated
Which NK receptors cause lysis of target cells?
Killer activating receptors
Which cell is described as the bridge between the innate and adaptive immune system
Dentritic cell (Innate immune system)
contains TLRs
Describe the immune system activation via the Toll-like receptor (TLR)
- Receptor acts as a sensor
- Recognises microorganisms by ligand binding
- Activates innate immune system
- Inflammation
If toll gene is mutated, the system wont work
How many toll-receptors have been identified?
10+
Give the varieties of toll-like receptor
External TLRs: On the cell surface
Internal TLRs: On endosomes
Why can’t the innate immune system be called ‘completely non-specific’?
TLRs recognise certain pathogenic substances
Therefore not specific
What is the main role of dendritic cells?
- Search for microorganisms
- Initiate inflammation
- Engulf microorganisms
- Process the microoganisms
- Express MHC receptors

























































