Lec 1: Basic Concepts in Immunity Flashcards

1
Q

What is the goal of immunity?

A
  • to return the body to a state of homeostasis
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2
Q

What 3 things stem from the goal of immunity?

A
  • defending the host
  • cleaning up debris/spent cells
  • controlling tissue damage
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3
Q

What are the 10 principles?

A
  1. The goal of immunity is to help return the body to a state of homeostasis
  2. Host-pathogen interactions are strong drivers for evolution of immune defence mechanisms
  3. Immune conservation occurs across two dimensions
  4. Conservation is not consistent across the spectrum of immune responses
  5. Comparative models govern veterinary immunology
  6. Immunity can also contribute to disease progression
  7. Microorganisms are not just the bad guys
  8. Each host cell must properly control several functions
  9. Protein expression dictates the cellular response that results
  10. The immune system acts in the context of an overall host response
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4
Q

What is the challenge for invading microbes?

A
  • devise clever evasion strategies to overcome immune defence mechanisms and increase potential for survival and spread
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5
Q

What is the ultimate goal for the animal host?

A
  • to avoid death from infection
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6
Q

Define functional redundancy.

A

capacity of immune tools to exert similar and overlapping functions on specific cells to provide extra safeguards if one layer of the system were to fail or be overcome by pathogen invasion strategies

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7
Q

Define functional pleiotropy.

A

capacity of immune tools to exhibit a wide variety of biological functions on various tissues and cells

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8
Q

What are the ‘two dimensions’ across immune conservation?

A

phylogeny and ontogeny

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9
Q

What is phylogeny?

A

evolution over millions of years

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10
Q

What is ontogeny?

A
  • development from embryo to fetus to adult
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11
Q

Is conservation consistent across immune responses?

A
  • no
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12
Q

Describe innate immunity.

A
  • not affected by prior contact with infectious agents
  • non specific
  • wide range
  • localized
  • ready to go
  • phagocytosis and complement cascades
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13
Q

Describe adaptive immunity.

A
  • specific
  • adaptable
  • systemic
  • includes antibodies, antigen presentation, recognition of self/non self
  • forms basis of memory
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14
Q

What is a pro of conservation of immune response?

A
  • time proven strategy for elimination of infiltrating pathogens
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15
Q

What is a con of conservation of immune response?

A
  • many pathogens can jump from species to species
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16
Q

What is comparative immunology?

A
  • the study of immune responses across all animals
17
Q

What choices could have been made during evolution?

A
  • change in environment
  • differences in intrinsic physiological tools available to host
  • changes in energy sources and expenditures
  • acquisition of new antimicrobial mechanisms
  • random mutations
18
Q

What is an example of autoimmunity?

A
  • systemic lupus erythroumatosus

- combo of type 2 and 3 hypersensitivities

19
Q

Some autoimmune diseases can stem from what?

A
  • prior pathogenic infections
20
Q

What are some functions of gut microflora?

A
  • aid in breakdown of otherwise undigestible food components
  • provide vitamins
  • contribute to development of intestine
  • compete with incoming pathogens
  • promote development of host immune repertoire
21
Q

What are some examples of host cell functions?

A
  • proliferation
  • take in nutrients
  • migrate
  • repair DNA
  • apoptosis
  • differentiate (mature)
22
Q

How do immune cells decide what to do?

A
  • signalling pathways help integrate extracellular and intracellular signals
  • these pathways converge at level of gene expression
23
Q

What dictates the cellular response the results?

A
  • protein expression
24
Q

The immune system acts in the context of what?

A

an overall host response