Lesson 1: The Immune System Flashcards
Define immune system.
The cells and tissues that recognize and attack foreign substances in the body.
Define pathogen.
A microorganism, another organism, a virus, or a protein that causes disease.
Define macrophage.
An immune system cell that engulfs a pathogens and other materials.
Define T cell.
An immune system cell that coordinates the immune system and attacks many infected cells.
Define B cell.
A white blood cell that makes antibodies.
Define antibody.
A protein made by B cells that binds to a specific antigen.
Define immunity.
The ability to resist or recover from infectious disease.
Define vaccine.
A substance that is prepared from killed or weakened pathogens or from genetic material that is introduced into the body to build immunity.
What are your external defenses?
Skin, hair, nails, sweat and oil glands.
What are your internal defenses?
Inflammation and fever.
What is inflammation?
Blood flow that is increased to an injured area, causing it to swell and turn red.
What is a fever?
A response to a pathogen that raises body temperature.
What are some white blood cells that protect the body?
Macrophage (destroyer), Helper and Killer cells (activator/attacker), B cells (responder)
How does the body build immunity?
Vaccinations, and by producing memory cells.
When does the body produce memory cells?
Once you are exposed to a pathogen your body creates memory cells so it can remember how to defeat the pathogen.
What can challenge the immune system?
Allergies, cancer, immune deficiency, autoimmune diseases.
What are allergies?
An immune system reaction to a common or harmless substance.
What is cancer?
A group of diseases in which cells divide at an uncontrolled rate.
What is immune deficiency?
When the immune system fails to develop properly or becomes weakened.
What are autoimmune diseases?
A disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s own cells.
