Lymphatic Tissue Flashcards
What are the primary lymphatic organs?
Bone marrow and thymus
Lymphatic tissue can be organized into what three categories?
- Lymphatic tissue
- Lymphatic nodules
- Lymphatic organs
What are the secondary lymphatic organs?
Lymphatic nodules, tonsils, appendix, lymph nodes, and spleen
Where do the lymphocytes develop?
In primary lymphatic organs - bone marrow or thymus
Where do lymphocytes function?
In secondary lymphatic organs - lymphatic nodules, tonsils, appendix, lymph nodes, and spleen
What is the function of cells in lymphatic tissues?
Recognize and destroy antigens - B lymphocytes, plasma cells, T lymphocytes, macrophages, and antigen presenting cells
What is an antigen?
Any substance that can induce an immune response - soluble substances, infectious microorganisms, foreign tissue, or transformed/cancerous cells.
Most antigens must be processed by cells of the immune system before other cells can initiate an immune response
What is an antibody?
An immunoglobulin synthesized and secreted by the plasma cells, they create an antigen-antibody complex that gets eliminated in one of several ways
Describe the innate immune response:
It is non-specific, functions as the first line of defense against antigens - the mechanisms include physical barriers like skin and internal epithelial linings (mucous membranes), and chemical (low pH) and secretory substances (lysozyme, proteins in saliva). If the antigen gets past the non-specific barrier, it is attack by the adaptive immune system.
Describe the adaptive immune response:
It is acquired, specific, and occurs when the body is exposed to various antigens and builds a defense that is specific to that antigen. Lymphocytes are a part of adaptive immune responses
Humoral and cellular immunity are a part of what immune response?
Acquired or adaptive immune response
What happens in the humoral immune response?
B lymphocytes (B cells) differentiate into plasma cells that synthesize and secrete antibodies to destroy antigens and prevent the spread of infection
What happens in the cellular immune response?
In cellular immunity, T lymphocytes (T cells) destroy transformed and virus-infected cells. ***Antibodies do not function in cellular immune responses
Cells of the immune system include lymphocytes, as well as:
Supporting cells - monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, reticular cells, dendritic cells, follicular dendritic cells, Langerhan’s cells, and epithelioreticular cells
In what ways are different types of cells in lymphatic tissue identified by?
By proteins expressed on their cell surface - cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major of histocompatibility (MHC) proteins, T cell receptors (TCR), and B cell receptors (BCR)
What are CD proteins and what are they useful for?
CD proteins are transmembrane proteins that have a cell-type and differentiation-type specific expression pattern. They are used to distinguish between different types of T CELLS - CD4 and CD8
What are MHCs?
Group of transmembrane proteins that act in the regulation of the immune system through recognition of “self” and “non-self.” MHCs are an absolute requirement for an individual to successfully respond against and to subsequently eliminate foreign agents. (A lack of these would mean a lack of immune response –> severe immunodeficiency)
Where is MHC I expressed?
On all nucleated cells and on platelets. They act as a target to allow elimination of abnormal host cells - virus-infected or transformed cancerous cells
Where do MHC I present peptide fragments?
To cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes
Where are MHC II expressed?
On the surface of antigen presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells and macrophages
What do MHC II present foreign peptides to?
Helper CD4+ lymphocytes
What are TCRs?
Expressed by T lymphocytes - recognize a single antigen, and are used along with other proteins in T cell recognition of antigens
What are BCRs?
BCRs are expressed on the surface of B cells and also recognize only ONE antigen. BCR recognition of an antigen leads to the differentiation of a B cell to a plasma cell
What is the main cellular component of lymphatic tissue and organs?
Lymphocytes - B or T. Circulating lymphocytes are IMMUNOCOMPETENT - they are capable of developing an immune response following exposure to antigen
Describe the basics of T lymphocytes:
They undergo ANTIGEN-INDEPENDENT differentiation in the thymus (primary lymphatic organ for T cell maturation) to become immunocompetent cells. They have a long lifespan and are involved in CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNITY. They enter the bloodstream or lymphatic systems and account for the majority (60-80%) of circulating lymphocytes. They become incorporated into lymphatic tissue and secondary lymphatic organs
What are the two classes of T lymphocytes?
Helper T lymphocytes and Cytotoxic T lymphocytes
What are the Helper T lymphocytes?
CD4+ T cells because they express CD4 protein,
What is the function of helper T lymphocytes?
Help with humoral and cellular immunity - promote activation and proliferation of B cells and CD8+ T cells that have encountered their specific antigens
What are cytotoxic T lymphocytes and what is their function?
CD8+ T lymphocytes because they express CD8 protein. They kill cells infected with intracellular pathogens or destroy transformed cells or cancerous cells.
What are B lymphocytes? What time of differentiation do they undergo?
Undergo antigen-independent differentiation in the bone marrow, become plasma cells, 20-30% of the cells circulating in blood, become part of lymphatic tissues and secondary lymphatic organs. They participate in humoral immunity by differentiating into plasma cells in the presence of an antigen –> secrete antibodies (immunoglobulins)
What are antigen presenting cells?
They are required by lymphocytes to recognize and destroy antigens. B and T cells cannot function on their own, they need the APCs. They are part of the mononuclear phagocytic system and include: Macrophages in CT and lymphatic organs, Kupffer cells of the liver, Langerhan’s cells in epidermis, and dendritic cells in the spleen, and lymph nodes, and epithelioreticular cells in the thymus
What is the function of APCs?
Recognize molecules or antigens –> endocytose them –> process (digest) them –> bind and display them on their cell surface complexed to MHC II –> present them to lymphocytes
What are some of the other functions of APCs in the immune response? (3)
- They secrete proteins necessary for immune and inflammatory reactions
- Activated macrophages destroy phagocytosed bacteria and foreign antigens
- Macrophages can fuse to form multinucleate foreign body giant cells to isolate certain pathogens from the body
Describe the lymphatic vessel system:
It is a separate circulatory system from the blood vascular system, begins as networks of blind-ended capillaries in loose CT, especially in skin and mucous membranes. Lymphatic capillaries merge to form lymphatic vessels
Function of lymphatic vessels:
Primarily to carry lymph (tissue fluid, a filtrate of blood plasma) - lymph returns proteins and lymphocytes back to the blood, transposts antigens to lymph nodes, and transports lipids (chylomicrons) and lipid-soluble vitamins absorbed in the GI tract to the blood (central lacteal in small intestine).
Describe lymphatic vessels:
Resemble blood vessels - have very thin walls that consist essentially of endothelium
There is no pump in the lymphatic system so how does the lymph move throughout the system?
By skeletal muscle action and respiratory movement. Lymph enters lymph nodes via afferent lymphatic vessels and exits via efferent lymphatic vessels.
Lymphatic vessels eventually lead to:
Right lymphatic duct or the thoracic duct (left lymphatic duct)
Where does the lymph become a part of the blood vascular system?
Where the right lymphatic and thoracic duct empty into venous circulation at the base of the neck
What is diffuse lymphatic tissue?
- Consists of T and B cells, plasma cells, and APCs
- Not enclosed by a CT capsule
- Recognizes antigens that have broken through the nonspecific epithelial barriers - immune cells positioned to recognize antigens and initiate immune responses