Slide Set: 8: Immune System Flashcards
The immune system serves three major functions:
- It tries to recognize and remove abnormal “self” cells created when normal cell growth and development go wrong.
- It removes dead or damaged cells, as well as old red blood cells.
- It protects the body from disease-causing invaders known as pathogens.
- attempts to recognize and remove abnormal cells
Substances that trigger the body’s immune response are called _________
immunogens
Immunogens that react with products of the response are known as ___________.
antigens
Pathologies of the immune system generally fall into one of three categories:
incorrect responses,
overactive responses,
lack of response.
Incorrect responses
Autoimmune diseases
If mechanisms for distinguishing self from non-self fail and the immune system attacks the body’s normal cells, an autoimmune disease results.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus, in which proteins made by immune cells destroy pancreatic beta cells, is an example of an autoimmune disease in humans.
Overactive responses
Allergies
are conditions in which the immune system creates a response that is out of proportion to the threat posed by the antigen. In extreme cases, the systemic effects of allergic responses can be life threatening.
Lack of immune response
Immunodeficiency diseases
arise when some component of the immune system fails to work properly.
Primary immunodeficiency is a family of genetically inherited disorders that range from mild to severe.
Acquired immunodeficiencies may occur as a result of infection, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Acquired immunodeficiencies may also arise as a side effect of drug or radiation therapy, such as those used to treat cancer.
Primary immunodeficiency
is a family of genetically inherited disorders that range from mild to severe.
Acquired immunodeficiency
Acquired immunodeficiencies may occur as a result of infection, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Acquired immunodeficiencies may also arise as a side effect of drug or radiation therapy, such as those used to treat cancer.
What are the differences between bacteria and viruses?
- Structure
- Bacteria are cells, with a cell membrane that is usually surrounded by a cell wall. Some encapsulated bacteria also produce an additional protective outer layer known as a capsule.
- Viruses are not cells. They consist of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a coat of viral proteins called a capsid. Some viruses add an envelope of phospholipid and protein made from the host’s cell membrane and incorporate viral proteins into the envelope - Living conditions and reproduction.
- Most bacteria can survive and reproduce outside a host if they have the required nutrients, temperature, pH, and so on.
- Viruses must use the intracellular machinery of a host cell to replicate. The location of pathogens in both major compartments of the body requires different defense mechanisms for each compartment. - Susceptibility to drugs
- Most bacteria can be killed by the drugs we call antibiotics. These drugs act directly on bacteria and destroy them or inhibit their growth.
- Viruses cannot be killed by antibiotics. A few viral infections can be treated with antiviral drugs, which target specific stages of viral replication.
Viruses are not cells. They consist of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a coat of viral proteins called a ____
capsid.
Some encapsulated bacteria also produce an additional protective outer layer known as a ____.
capsule
Viruses can be released from host cells in one of two ways:
(1) The virus causes the host cell to rupture, releasing virus particles into the ECF, or
(2) virus particles surround themselves with a layer of host cell membrane and then bud o from the surface of the host cell.
The body has two lines of defense:
physical and chemical barriers, such as skin, mucus, and stomach acid, first try to keep pathogens out of the body’s internal environment
If this first line of defense fails, then the internal immune response takes over.
The internal immune response has four basic steps:
(1) detection and identification of the foreign substance,
(2) communication with other immune cells to rally an organized response,
(3) recruitment of assistance and coordination of the response among all participants, and
(4) destruction or suppression of the invader.
The immune response is distinguished by its extensive use of chemical signaling. Detection, identification, communication, recruitment, coordination, and the attack on the invader all depend on signal molecules such as _________
cytokines and antibodies.
What are cytokines?
Cytokines are protein messengers released by one cell that affect the growth or activity of another cell
What are antibodies?
Antibodies, proteins secreted by certain immune cells, bind antigens and make them more visible to the immune system.
The human immune response is generally divided into two categories:
nonspecific innate immunity and speci c acquired im- munity.
Innate immunity
Innate immunity is present from birth {innatus, inborn} and is the body’s nonspecific immune response to invasion.
The membrane receptors that mediate innate immunity have broad specificity and allow some immune cells to respond to molecular signals that are both unique and common to pathogenic microorganisms.
An example of a common pathogen-specific signal would be certain components of the bacterial cell wall. Because the nonspecific innate response does not target a particular pathogen, it begins within minutes to hours.
What is inflammation?
apparent on the skin as a red, warm, swollen area, is a hallmark reaction of cytokine-mediated innate immunity.
Acquired immunity
Acquired immunity (also called adaptive immunity) is directed at specific invaders and for this reason is the body’s speci c immune response. e membrane receptors that medi- ate acquired immunity are highly speci c and can distinguish between different pathogens. One characteristic of acquired immunity is that a specific immune response following rst ex- posure to a pathogen may take days. With repeated exposures, however, the immune system “remembers” prior exposure to the pathogen and reacts more rapidly.
Acquired immunity can be divided into
cell-mediated immunity and humoral immunity.
Cell-mediated immunity
uses contact-dependent signaling in which an immune cell binds through receptors to its target cell.