patho exam 2 Flashcards
What is innate immunity?
Non-specific immune response that acts before exposure to pathogens
Innate immunity includes mechanical and biochemical barriers.
What constitutes the first line of defense in the immune system?
Physical/mechanical barriers such as skin and mucous membranes
Includes flushing out of bacteria from the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts.
What triggers inflammation?
Pathogens, injuries, environmental factors
These triggers initiate the inflammatory response to protect the body.
What are the main cells involved in inflammation?
- Mast cells
- Phagocytes
- Neutrophils
- Macrophages
- Specialized lymphocytes
- Natural killer cells
- Plasma protein systems
Each cell plays a distinct role in the inflammatory process.
What is the main goal of inflammation?
Prevent infection, decrease tissue injury, prepare for healing.
What is vasodilation and what triggers it?
Increase in blood flow to an area triggered by histamine release
Results in redness and warmth in the inflamed area.
What role do neutrophils play in inflammation?
First responders that migrate from the blood into tissues through chemotaxis.
How is the adaptive immune system triggered?
Antigen recognition by antigen-presenting cells (APCs).
What are MHC Class I molecules responsible for?
Presenting intracellular antigens to CD8+ cytotoxic T cells.
What do MHC Class II molecules present?
Extracellular antigens to CD4+ helper T cells.
What is the main function of B cells in humoral immunity?
Production of antibodies that neutralize pathogens and mark them for destruction.
What is the key difference between humoral immunity and cellular immunity?
- Humoral immunity: targets pathogens outside cells
- Cellular immunity: eliminates infected or abnormal cells.
What actions do antibodies perform?
- Neutralization
- Opsonization
- Complement activation
- Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC)
- Agglutination and precipitation.
True or False: Antibodies directly destroy antigens.
False.
What are chemokines?
Proteins that attract white blood cells to sites of infection.
What activates the complement system?
- Immune complex (antibody-bound antigen)
- Substances from microorganisms.
What are cytokines?
Molecules that direct or modify immune responses.
What cells are considered phagocytes?
- Macrophages
- Neutrophils
- Dendritic cells
- Monocytes.
What signs and symptoms are associated with inflammation?
- Redness
- Heat
- Swelling
- Pain
- Loss of function.
What is a shift to the left in a laboratory context?
Increased presence of immature neutrophils in peripheral blood.
What is the primary immune response?
The body’s first encounter with an antigen, taking up to 14 days to resolve.
What is the secondary immune response?
Occurs upon re-encountering the same antigen, more robust and quicker than the primary response.
What blood type is considered the universal donor?
O-.
What is hypersensitivity?
Altered immunologic reaction to an antigen, resulting in an exaggerated immune response.