Infection 1-6 Flashcards
What are the 4 steps of the Koch Henle Postulates?
- Isolate the organism from every case
- Propagate in pure culture in vitro
- Re-inoculate and produce disease
- Re-isolate
What are the key differences between Koch’s postulates and diagnosis?
Koch’s - Isolates SAME organism from MANY patients and isolates able to reproduce disease in model
Diagnosis - ONE isolate from ONE patient. Identify if the organism is a recognised pathogen.
How can microbes be classified biologically?
Prokaryote
Eukaryote
Viruses
How can microbes be classified medically?
Pathogen
Non-pathogen
Opportunistic pathogen
What are the main differences between eukaryotes and prokaryotes?
Eukaryotes have membrane bound organeles and multiple chromosomes. Prokaryotes only have one and transcription/translation is coupled (compartmentalised in eu.). Ribosomes - 30+50S=70S pro. 40+60S=80S eu.
How do viruses infect the host?
Obligate intracellular parasites that multiply using the host cell’s biosynthetic machinery.
What is a bacteriophage?
Virus which infects bacteria
What are the principle characteristics of innate immunity?
Rapid response
Invariant
Limited number of specificities
Constant during response
What are the principle characteristics of adaptive immunity?
Slow response
Variable
Numerous highly selective specificities
Improve during response
How do neutrophils act?
Phagocytosis and killing of microorganisms. Granules contain numerous bactericidal substances.
Phagocytosis particles opsonised by IgG or compliment and functions as effector cell of humoral immunity
How do eosinophils act?
Killing of antibody-coated parasites through release of granule contents - highly basic or ‘cationic’ proteins
Bind avidly to IgE-coated particles
Describe the nucleus of a neutrophil (polymorph)
multilobed
What type of white blood cells are common at the site of an allergic reaction?
Basophils and eosinophils
What is a basophil and how does it work?
A leucocyte with large basophilic granules which contain heparin, histamine and other vasoactive amines. Granules released at the site of inflammation and in immediate hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions
Express high affinity receptors for IgE - interaction causes the release of basophil granules
What is a mast cell?
A tissue cell which is not bone marrow derived but otherwise similar to its circulating counterpart, the basophil
What is the largest nucleated cell of the blood?
Monocyte - 16-20 micrometers.
What is a macrophage?
Antigen presenting cell
Mature monocytes
Strongly phagocytic
Receptors for Ig and complement
What are natural killer cells?
Type of lymphocyte able to kill virus infected cells and certain types of cancer cells
Large cytoplasmic granules distinguish them microscopically
How do NK cells and cytotoxic T cells act differently?
NK act independently of antigen presentation and recognition, which is necessary for the action of T cells
What are dendritic cells?
Antigen presenting cells. Possess long processes which interdigitate between lymphoid cells and interdigitate between lymphoid cells and present antigens to them.
What is a B lymphocyte and where is it derived?
Precursor of antibody-forming cells. Bone marrow derived
What is a plasma cell?
The B lymphocite in its high-rate antibody secreting state. Rarely seen in the blood, but found in spleen, lymph nodes etc whenever antibody is being made.
From where are T lymphocytes derived?
Thymus
What are the primary lymphoid organs?
Bone marrow where T and B lymphocytes are made. Thymus where T lymphocytes mature/are selected