Sec 31.5: Overreactions of the Immune System

Question 1

What is an allergy?

Answer 1

It is an oversensitivity to a normally harmless antigen, where the immune system produces antibodies in response to an allergen

Question 2

What is an allergen?

Answer 2

It is an antigen that cause an allergic reaction

Question 3

What happens during an allergic reaction?

Answer 3

Allergen enters the body, and mast cells or basophils release histamines to cause an unnecessary nonspecific inflammation response

Question 4

What may be the causes of allergies?

Answer 4

An overabundance of a certain type of antibodies, or a person’s genetic makeup, or when an allergen is given to a child at a certain stage in life

Question 5

What are 3 types of allergens?

Answer 5

Food allergens, Airborne allergens, Chemical allergens

Question 6

What is the most common type of allergen?

Answer 6

Food Allergens

Question 7

What are some common food allergens?

Answer 7

Milk, soy, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish

Question 8

What is anaphylaxis?

Answer 8

It is a condition that occurs when the immune system releases histamine which causes airways to tighten and blood vessels to become porous, so air cannot enter the lungs or tissues and blood leaks out of the circulatory system

Question 9

When are airborne antigens most common?

Answer 9

During allergy season, which occurs when certain plants and molds are reproducing. plants release pollen while molds release spores, and when breathed in, histamine response may cause sneezing, watery eyes, or congestion

Question 10

What is dander?

Answer 10

It is made up of small particles in animal hair and makes some people allergic to pets

Question 11

What are other types of airborne allergens?

Answer 11

chemicals in animal saliva and feces of dust mites, or small arachnids that live in dust balls and cloth

Question 12

What is an allergic reaction caused by airborne allergens?

Answer 12

Asthma; airways tighten, breathing becomes difficult, inhalers with medicine needed to open up airways

Question 13

what are chemical allergens?

Answer 13

Metals that come in contact with the skin or those that enter the blood through injection or digestion

Question 14

What are other types of chemical allergens?

Answer 14

venom from bee stings, drugs (penicillin)

Question 15

what is an allergic reaction to chemical allergens?

Answer 15

developing rashes when certain metals rest on skin for too long

Question 16

What is an autoimmune disease?

Answer 16

It occurs when the immune system cannot tell the difference between the body’s healthy and unhealthy cells (body treats its own cells as foreign invaders)

Question 17

What are some types of autoimmune diseases?

Answer 17

Rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Multiple sclerosis, Graves’ disease

Question 18

What systems does rheumatoid arthritis affect and what does the immune system do?

Answer 18

Integumentary; it breaks down tissues that line joints, making movement difficult (damages cartilage, causes friction in joints)

Question 19

What systems does type 1 diabetes (mellitus) affect and what does the immune system do?

Answer 19

Endocrine and digestive; attacks the pancreas, causing it to make less insulin and stop sugar digestion

Question 20

What systems does multiple sclerosis affect and what does the immune system do?

Answer 20

Nervous; breaks down myelin sheaths, disrupting nerve communication