L27B - Introduction To Immunology Flashcards
What is the immune system?
- body’s tool for preveting/limiting infection
- complex network of cells, organs, proteins, and tissues that defend the body from pathogens
What does the immune system recorgnise? (2)
- pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and fungi
- abnormal cells like cancer cells
What are components of the immune system? (3)
- organs and cells
- lymph system
- circulatory system
What are the subsets of the immune system?
- innate immunity (non-specific)
- acquired/adaptive immunity (specific)
What is innate immunity? (4)
- natural immunity
- non specific defense
- initial response to eliminate microbes an prevent infection
- fast response
What are components of innate immunity?
- physical/structural barriers (mucous lining)
- chemical barriers (stomach acid)
- protective cells (NK cells, WBCs)
(Sneezing, coughing, vomiting)
What are examples of physical and chemical barriers?
- skin, hair, cilia
- mucus membranes
- tears
- mucus and chemical secretions
- digestive enzymes in mouth
- stomach acid
- blood-brain barrier
What are the cellular components of innate immunity? (3)
- macrophages, neutrophils, mast cells - remove pathogens
- NK cells - eliminate infected/abnormal host cells
- dendritic cells - direct microbicidal activity, secrete chemicals that can recruit and activate other immune cells
What is inflammation?
A response triggered by innate immune system when physical barriers being breached, infection occurs
What does inflammation do? (4)
- help eliminate pathogens, promote tissue repair
- release singalling molecules (cytokines, chemokines)
- recruits immune cells to the site of infection
- associated with heat, pain redness and swelling
What is the complement system (3)? What is it activated by?
- 30 dif plasma proteins
- produced in the liver, circulate in the blood
- bridge between innate and adaptive immunity
- activated through different pathways
What does the complement system do? (3)
- destroy pathogens
- immune cell activation
- clearance of immune complexes
What is adaptive immunity? What is it initiated by?
- specific and targeted defense mech
- initiated when innate response fails to clear pathogen
What does the adaptive immunity do? (4)
- detect antigens on pathogens
- adapts tp recognise and remember specific pathogens
- provides long lasting protection
- slow response
What are the 2 branches in adaptive immunity? (2)
- cellular immunity
- humoral immunity
What is cell mediated immunity? (5)
- Dendritic cells present antigens
- Tc cells attack and kill infected/abnormal cells
- Th cells assist B cells a/bod production
- Regulatory T cells maintain immune balance
- memory T cells remember pathogens = enable faster and more effective immune response upon re-exposure
What is humoral immunity?
B cells produce a/bods in response to antigens
What are antibodies? (3)
Proteins
- neutralise pathogens
- mark them for destruction by phagocytes
- trigger other immune responses
What innate vs adaptive immunity like? (In that order) (7)
- non specific vs specific
- antigen independent vs dependent
- predominantly early stage vs middle and last stage
- max response in hours vs days
- limited specificity vs highly diverse
- response to repeat infection identical to primary vs rapid response
- no immunologic memory vs immunologiv memory develops
What is immunisation? (2)
- immune system stimulated to mount immune response against specific pathogens
- occur through natural infection/administration of vaccines
What are vaccincations? (4)
- contain weakened/killed/parts of pathogens, introduced antigens
- trigger immune response
- memory formation
- protection against disease
What are types of vaccines? (4)
- live attenutated (MMR)
- inactivated/killed (hepatitis A)
- subunit, recombinant/conjugates (HPV)
- mRNA (C19)
What is allergy?
Overreaction of immune system to a normally harmless substance
What are examples of allergy? (7)
- pollen
- animal dander
- dust
- peanuts
- shellfish
- latex
- medicines
What are facts about allergy? (3)
- encountered through inhalation, ingestion, contact with skin
- itching, sneezing, rash, etc.
- anaphylactic shock
What is autoimmunity?
Immune system attacking own cells and tissues
What are facts about autoimmunity? (2)
- genetic predisposition
- environmental factor may trigger autoimmune response
What are egs of autoimmune diseases?
- rheumatoid arthritis
- ulcerative colitis
- psoriasis
- diabetes
- multiple sclerosis
