Introduction to the immune System Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the immune system?

A

a collection of passive and active processes that protect us from the outside world and ourselves

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2
Q

What is the role of the intrinsic system?

A

(barriers) prevent problems from happening

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3
Q

What is the role of the innate system?

A

recognise non-self non-specifically

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4
Q

What is the role of the adaptive system?

A

recognition of non-self specifically

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5
Q

Where are immune cells made?

A

bone marrow and thymus

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6
Q

What factors does the immune response depend on?

A
  • having the right cell type in the right numbers to do the job neutropenia/ lymphopaenia
  • can the cell travel to the infection site
  • do the cells produce the appropriate molecules to kill/ restrict the pathogen
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7
Q

What are the two mechanisms that the immune system uses to kill threats?

A

CONTACT DEPENDENT:

  • immune cells encounter pathogens, engulf and destroy them
  • immune cells communicate with each other to co-ordinate a response

SOLAUBLE FACTORS:

  • the immune system produce soluble factors that kill pathogens directly
  • the immune system produces molecules that regulate the immune response
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8
Q

Give examples of biochemical barriers.

A

-lysosomes in tears
-nasal secretions
-saliva
sebaceous gland secretions
-commensal organsims in gut and vagina
-spermine in semen

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9
Q

Give example of chemical and physical barriers

A
  • mucus
  • cilia lining trachea
  • acid in stomach
  • skin
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10
Q

Why is disease not necessarily the most common outcome from infection?

A

because infections becoming disease depends on many factors

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11
Q

What are the steps of progression of a typical infection?

A
  1. establishment of infection
  2. induction of adaptive response
  3. adaptive immune response
  4. immunological memory
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12
Q

Describe the innate response.

A
  • non-specific
  • induced rapidly
  • same speed of first and second encounter
  • release cytokines
  • phagocytose bacteria
  • induce adaptive immunity
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13
Q

Describe the adaptive response

A
  • specific
  • slow on first encounter
  • faster on subsequent encounters
  • vital for vaccine function
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14
Q

What protects intracellularly?

A

T cells

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15
Q

What is an antibody made up of?

A
  • light chain
  • heavy chain
  • disulphide bonds
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16
Q

What can antibodies target?

A
  • bacterial toxins
  • bacteria in extracellular space
  • bacteria in plasma
17
Q

How do antibodies work against bacteria in plasma?

A

if enough antibodies bind they can activate complement (a soluble protein in blood) and cause direct death of bacterial cell

18
Q

What is the role of vaccines?

A

to trick the body into making protective responses against pathogens without being infected

19
Q

Where and why is adaptive immunity tightly controlled?

A
  • in sites like lymph nodes

- to avoid autoimmunity

20
Q

Where do T cells target?

A

inside cells

21
Q

Where do B cells and antibodies target?

A

outside cells

22
Q

What protects extracellularly?

A

antibodies

23
Q

What do lymph nodes do?

A

Tightly control the induction of the adaptive immune system

24
Q

Why must the adaptive immune system be tightly controlled?

A

To prevent autoimmunity

25
Q

Which T-cell responds to antigens expressed through MHCI?

A

CD8 T-cells

26
Q

Which T-cell responds to antigens expressed through MHCII?

A

CD4 T-cells

27
Q

What type of bacteria have antigens expressed through MHCI?

A

Cytosolic bacteria

28
Q

What type of bacteria have antigens expressed through MHCII?

A

Vacuole resident bacteria

29
Q

What is the prophylactic function of the immune system?

A

Prevent infection/disease from occuring

30
Q

What is the therapeutic function of the immune system?

A

Sort the infection/disease out when it gets out of hand/

31
Q

How do antibodies work against bacteria in extracellular space?

A

Loads of antibodies will bind to the same bacterial molecule causing opsonisation which marks the bacteria cell for phagocytes to engulf them

32
Q

How do antibodies work against bacterial toxins?

A

Antibodies bind to the bacteria toxins neutralising them and preventing them from binding to cells with receptors of the toxins