Synoptic Flashcards
How do pathogens cause disease
-produce toxins
- pathogens replicate inside and destroy host cells
Antigen
- protein that stimulates an immune response which results in the formation of a specific antibody(antibody generator)
-if the antigens are recognised as not self it will initiate an immune response
What is a phagocyte
- white blood cells which engulf and destroy any cell with a non self antigen in a process called phagocytosis
Describe phagocytosis
- pathogen is engulfed by the phagocyte
-engulfed pathogen enters the cytoplasm of the phagocyte in a vesicle called phagosome
-lysosomes fuse with hydrolytic enzymes hydrolysing the pathogen - waste material are released by exocytosis and antigens are presented on the the cell membrane and the phagocyte becomes antigen presenting cell
Role of Th helper cells
-Specific TH cell binds to the antigen presenting cell
-Release cytokines that attract phagocytes to the area of infection.
-Release cytokines that activate Cytotoxic Killer T cell (TC).
-Activates a specifically complementaryB cell.
-Form memory THcells
Role of Tc cells ( cytotoxic killer cell )
-Locate and destroys infected body cells that present the correct antigen.
-Binds to antigen-presenting-cells
-Releases perforin (protein) which creates holes in the cell surface membrane which destroys the APC.
Plasma cells
Produce and secrete vast quantities of specific antibodies into the blood plasma
Memory B Cells
Remain in the body to respond to pathogen rapidly and extensively should there be a future re-infection
Describe the structure of an antibody
Antibodies are complex proteins with a quaternary structure (4°) ,made up of four polypeptide chains. The overall shape of the antibody is “Y-shaped”
Antibody
Protein made in response to foreign antigen – has binding sites which bind specifically to an antigen. A specific antibody is produced by a specific ‘Plasma cell’.
Describe the regions in a antibody
-The main part of the antibody is the same in all antibodies this is the constant region
- variable region has a different primary structure therefore different tertiary structure
The variable region and therefore the binding site which is specific and different for each antibody
How do antibodies assist in the destruction of pathogens?
1) AGGLUTINATION: Specific antibodies bind to the antigens on pathogen and clump them together.
2) OPSONISATION: marking pathogens so phagocytes recognise and destroy the pathogen more efficiently.
3) LYSIS: Bind to antigens and lead to destruction of the pathogen’s membrane.
4) ANTI-TOXIN & ANTI-VENOM: Bind to toxins or venom (both usually proteins) to prevent these molecules from binding to their complementary target receptors.
5) Prevent pathogen replication
Secondary response
The activation of memory cells to produce antibodies
Secondary response
-The secondary response is both RAPID and EXTENSIVE.
-activation of memory cells to produce antibodies
Antigenic variability
Some pathogens have antigens which mutate and change shape (e.g. Flu, HIV).
When this occurs, the pathogen will not be recognised by the memory cells from the previous infection, (no longer complementary to receptors) and the individual will not be able to initiate a secondary response.
Two types of immunity
- passive :No exposure to ANTIGEN. Antibodies are received from elsewhere i.e. are not produced by the individual. Can be given by mother or an antiserum (injection of antibodies). No production of Memory cells
-active: Antibodies produced in response to exposure to an ANTIGEN. This type of immunity is provided by the memory cells that are produced after a primary immune response to a pathogen.
What are vaccine not effective to
Pathogen that shows antigenic variability
Process of vaccination
The pathogen is engulfed by a phagocyte and displayed on an antigen-presenting cell.
A specific T helper cell binds to the antigen on the antigen presenting cell.
The specific T helper cell stimulates a specific B cell (by releasing cytokines).
B cell divides by mitosis to produce plasma cells and memory cells.
Plasma cells produce and release antibodies
Memory cells recognise the antigen on second infection.
What’s herd immunity
If enough individuals in the population are vaccinated (85%), then there is little chance of the disease spreading, therefore even non-vaccinated individuals will be protected.
Ethical issues of vaccination
Human testing
Animal testing
Availability
When a vaccine is given to a person, it leads to the production of antibodies against a disease-causing organism. Describe how
- Vaccine contains antigen from pathogen;
- Phagocyte/macrophage presents antigen on its surface.
- Specific T helper cell with specific receptor binds to complementary antigen.
- T helper cell stimulates specific B cell.
- (With) complementary antibody on its surface.
- B cell divides by mitosis to form plasma cells.
- plasma cells secretes large amounts of antibody
- Formation of Memory B cells with complementary antibodies remain in the blood
Describe the difference between active and passive immunity.(comparison)
- Active involves memory cells, passive does not;
- Active involves production of antibody by plasma cells/memory cells;
- Passive involves antibody introduced into body from outside/named source;
- Active long term, because antibody produced in response to antigen;
- Passive short term, because antibody (given) is broken down;
- Active (can) take time to develop/work, passive fast acting;
Describe the structure of HIV
RNA as genetic material
Contains reverse transcriptase
Protein capsid attachment proteins
Has a phospholipid envelope
HIV replication
- Protein on HIV binds with a protein commonly found on TH cells.
- Capsid fuses with cell-surface membrane and releases Viral RNA and enzymes into the helper TH cell.
- The HIV’s reverse transcriptase converts viral RNA into cDNA using host nucleotides.
- Viral cDNA moves into nucleus of T cell and is inserted into host cell genome (DNA). The person is now INFECTED.
- Transcription of viral DNA into (viral) mRNA which is translated to produce HIV proteins. The infected TH cell starts to manufacture new HIV virions / particles.
- Particles break away from TH cell with a section of host cell surface membrane which forms their lipid envelope, with TH receptor proteins embedded (to gain access into more TH cells).
- Over time this leads to a reduction in the number of TH cells or reduction by inactivation of TH cells.
AIDS (more or less)
• More HIV
• Destruction of more TH cells
• Less activation of (specific) TC / B cell
• Less able to destroy (other) pathogen / Cancerous / Infected cell
How do antibiotics work
• Antibiotics work by preventing bacteria making a normal cell wall (murein/peptidoglycan) by targeting 70s ribosomes (not cytoplasmic 80S ribosomes found in Eukaryotes).
• This means that the bacteria are unable to resist osmotic pressure and the cells burst due to an increase in cell volume of water by osmosis.
• Viruses use host cells organelles to carry out metabolic activities so do not have any viral organelles to disrupt.
• Viruses also have a CAPSID (protein coat) rather than a murein cell wall. This does not allow antibiotics to act on viruses as they do for bacteria.
• As viruses spend most of the time within a host cell, they are also out of reach of antibiotics.
Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
Recombines glycerol and fatty acids to make triglycerides
Packages triglycerides into vesicles and transports them into Golgi
Rough endoplasmic reticulum
Synthesis and transports proteins throughout the cell
Ribosomes
-site of protein synthesis
-consists of large and small subunit (rRNA subunits)
- contains 80s ribosomes
Golgi apparatus
sorts, modifies and packages proteins and triglycerides into vesicles.
Exons
Code for amino acid sequences
Introns
Non coding sequences
Genome
Complete set of genes in a cell
Proteome
Full range of proteins that a cell is able to produce
Compare the structure of mRNA and DNA
DNA is double stranded whereas is single stranded
DNA is longER whereas RNA is shortER
Thymine in DNAwhereasReplaced with uracil in RNA
Deoxyribose in DNA whereas Ribose in RNA
DNA has hydrogen bonds whereas mRNA doesn’t have hydrogen bonds
DNA has introns whereas mRNA doesn’t have introns
Describe transcription
- (DNA Helicase) Hydrogen bonds are broken so strands separate;
- Only one DNA strand acts as template;
- RNA nucleotides attracted to exposed bases;
- (Attraction) according to base pairing rule Adenine-Uracil, Cytosine-Guanine:
- RNA polymerase joins (RNA) nucleotides together forming phosphodiester bonds through condensation reactions;
- Pre-mRNA spliced to remove introns (Eukaryotes).
Describe translation
- mRNA binds to ribosome;
- Ribosome finds the START codon;
- Idea of two codons/binding sites;
- (Allows) tRNA with complementary anticodons to bind/associate with codon;
- (Catalyses) formation of peptide bond between amino acids (held by tRNA molecules) using energy from ATP;
- tRNA released as Ribosome moves along (mRNA to the next codon)/translocation described;
- Ribosome releases polypeptide into RER when the STOP codon is reached.
What does universal mean
the same 3 bases on mRNA / DNA (CODON / TRIPLETS) code for the same amino acids in all orgnisms
Non overlapping
Each base is only part of 1 triplet / codon.
So during translation the ribosome reads each base only once in the codons on the mRNA – the first three bases are read, followed by the second three bases, then the third three bases, and so on, in sets of three.
Degenerate
More than one triplet (DNA)/ codon (mRNA) codes for an amino acid.
Consequence of a gene mutation
-may alter the primary structure of the polypeptides which affects the sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide
-this may alter the secondary structure therefore changing the position of the weak hydrogen bonds affecting alpha helices ands beta pleated sheets
-it may also alter the tertiary structure which changes the position of the weak hydrogen,ionic and disulphide bridges bonds.It may also alter the binding site or active site of enzymes and make the protein non-functional
List mutagenic agents
-High energy ionising radiation such as gamma or x rays
-DNA reactive chemicals such as benzene
- biological agents such as some viruses or bacteria
Gene pool
The number of different alleles of a gene in a population
Define Natural selection
A process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment survive and reproduce in greater numbers ,resulting in the increase of the frequency of the advantageous allele within the population