Review Of The Immune System

Question 1

What are the components of the innate immune system?

Answer 1

Physical barriers: skin and mucous membranes
Cellular barriers: phagocytes and NK cells
Process barriers: complement, fever, inflammation, interferons

Question 2

Why is histamine important?

Answer 2

released by mast cells, directly stimulates pain receptors, associated with seasonal allergies, and causes VASODILATION; interacts with H1 & H2 receptors

Question 3

What are the components of the adaptive immune system?

Answer 3

Humoral: B cells and T cells; primarily in the blood and produce antibodies
Cell-mediated: T cells release cytokines; primarily cytotoxic and don’t produce antibodies

Question 4

What is inflammation?

Answer 4

Non-specific immune response that reacts to physical injury, toxins, extreme heat, invading microbes, & cell death; main job is to contain injury, destroy pathogens, and initiate repair