Microbiology - Immunology Flashcards by Alexandra Armstrong

What makes up the lymphatic system?

Lymphatic organs
Lymphatic vessels
Lymph

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Name the primary and secondary lymphatic organs

Primary - bone marrow, thymus

Secondary - lymph nodes, spleen

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Why is the lymphatic system important in the immune response?

Site of some immune responses
Filters bacteria (lymph nodes)
Carries lymph fluid towards heart via lymph nodes

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By what process are blood cells genereated?

Haematopoiesis

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Where does Haematopoiesis occur?

bone marrow

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Where do T cells mature?

Thymus

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What do cytokines determine?

cell type

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Describe the innate immune system

Older than adaptive
Present in all multicellular organisms
Recognise lipids and carbohydrates
Defend against any pathogen

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Describe the adaptive immune system

Newer than innate
Present in vertebrates with a jaw
Defend against specific pathogens and adapts over time
Recognise peptides
Has a memory

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Describe the 1st and 2nd line defence of the body (innate)

1st - skin intact, mucous membranes, normal microbiota

2nd - phagocytic WBCs, inflammation, fever, antimicrobials

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Describe the 3rd line of defence of the body (adaptive)

T + B cells

Antibodies

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The skin is an anatomical barrier that prevents the passage of _____, and works in combination with _____

pathogens

sebum

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What is microbiota?

A community of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic organisms

Includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea

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In what human anatomical areas do microbiota exist?

skin
gut
conjunctiva
urethra + bladder

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Tissue damage produces an _______ response.

Name the 3 major events to inflammatory response:

inflammatory

vasodilation
capillary permeability increase
phagocyte influx

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What is the main mediator of the inflammatory repsonse?

histamine

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List 3 physiological barrier that contribute to innate immunity

Temperature
pH
Soluble + cell associated molecules

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What are the 3 soluble components of physiological barriers in innate immunity?

Lysozyme - cleaves petidoglycan layer in bacterial cell wall
Interferon - produced by virus infected cells
Complement

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What 3 paths activate the highly regulated complement system?

Classical - antigen/antibody
Lectin - MBL binding to pathogen
Alternative

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What does activation of the complement system lead to?

Cell lysis
Opsonization
Immune clearance
Binding specific receptors on immune cells

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Which immune system mainly expresses pattern recognition receptors?

Innate

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Pattern recognition receptors are classified according to what?

ligand specificity

They are defined as Membrane bound (TLRs and CLRs) or Cytoplasmic (NLRrs)

What 2 classes of molecules are identified by pattern recognition receptors?

Pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)

- Damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs)

Name the granulocytes and agranulocytes of leukocytes in the blood

neutrophil
eosinophil
basophil (mast cells)
lymphocyte
monocyte

Basophil has granules containing _____ and _____. Once activated, degranulates and releases inflammatory mediators.

histamine and heparin

Natural killer cells play a role in anti-___ and anti-___ defences. They function by _____ to cells and releasing cytoxic _____

viral tumour binding granules

What is the most abundant granulocyte?

neutrophils

Neutrophils attack micro-organisms in 3 ways:

phagocytosis degranulation generation of NETs

What 2 types of cells that make up phagocytes?

neutrophils | macrophages

Describe the steps of phagocytosis

- Pseudopodia attach to bacteria - bacteria ingested into phagosome - lysosme fuses with phagosome => phagolysosome - Lysosomal enzymes degrade bacteria which is released from cell

Cytokines are small proteins important in cell _______

signalling

List the 4 main characteristics of adaptive immunity

- antigenic specificity - diversity - immunological memory - self/non-self recognition

Name the 2 cell types involved in adaptive immunity

T cells - cell mediated | B cells - humoral

When does VDJ recombination occur?

In primary lymphoid organs during early stages of T and B cell development

What are the classes of T cells?

Cytotoxic T cells - Tc | T-helper cells - Th

Name the 2 main classes of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)

Class I - expressed by all nucleated cells | Class II - expressed by antigen presenting cells (APCs)

What T cells do Class I + II present to?

Class I present to Tc cells | Class II present to Th cells

B cell activation occurs in primary / secondary lymph organs

secondary

What are memory B cells designed to do?

Produce a rapid response to same antigen

What are antibodies made of ?

glycoproteins

What region of an antibody recognises the antigen?

variable region

What are the 4 functions of antibodies?

Neutralise agglutinate precipitate activate complement

What are the 5 classes of antibodies?

IgA / D/ E / G / M

Why is the immune system regulated at multiple points?

to prevent improper activation

Describe the 2 selection processes that T cells undergo during maturation

Positive selection - removes weak binding cells to self antigens Negative selection - removes strong binding cells to self antigens

What factor can increase susceptibility to infection and decrease response to vaccine?

age

what is an allergy?

hypersensitive reaction of the immune system to usually harmless substances

Name the 4 main types of vaccines

Live-attenuated vaccine - MMR Inactivated vaccine - Hep A Toxoid vaccine - Tetanus Subunit, recombinant, polysaccaride, conjugate vaccines - HPV

What is herd immunity?

When a large part of the population of an area is immune to a specific disease

What is HIT (herd immunity threshold) ?

Proportion of immune people within a population that can prevent a particular disease

Define immunodeficiency

A state in which the immune system's ability is compromised or absent

describe 2 types of immunodeficiency disorders

Primary - rare genetic conditions e.g SCIDs | Secondary - more common and acquired as a result of immunosuppressive agents

Immunocompromised individuals are vulnerable to ______ and it decreases _____ immunosurveillance

infection | cancer

Define immunosuppression

The reduction of the activation of immune system