The Immune/Lymphoid System Flashcards
What are the functions of the protective surface inmmune system mechanism?
- first line of defense in skin and mucous membranes
- protected by a variety of antibacterial substances including defensins and lysozymes (in tears and saliva)
What are the three main lines of defense for humans?
- protective surface mechanisms
- innate immune system
- adaptive immune system
What are the functions of the innate immune system?
- rapid reaction to a pathogen
- same magnitude of reaction with each encounter (no learning)
- cells, proteins, peptides that circulate in the blood
- many of the same cells and signaling molecules used in innate are vital in the adaptive as well
What are the characteristics of acute inflammation?
- vascular changes including dilation, enhanced permeability of capillaries, and increased blood flow
- production of fibrin-rich inflammatory exudate
What are the functions of the adaptive immune system?
- ability to learn so that the subsequent response elicits a greater, more specific, faster response
- uses T and B lymphocytes
- requires antigen-representing cells
What are the actions of the neutrophil, eosinophil, and macrophage?
Phagocytosis and killing of pathogenic organisms
Secretion of cytokines and extracellular antimicrobial
molecules, including neutrophil extracellular traps
(NETs) and pattern recognition molecules (PRMs)
What are the actions of the complement and chemokines?
Opsonises organisms to facilitate phagocytosis
Chemoattractant for various cells
Membrane attack complex (MAC) kills cells by
puncturing plasma membrane
What are the actions of the natural killer (NK) cells?
Recognize and kill virus-infected and cancerous cells
What are the dense lymphoid tissues?
- organized into discreet structures or organs (lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, tonsil)
What are the diffuse lymphoid tissues?
—located throughout body, associated with mucous membranes
What is primary lymphoid tissue?
— lymphoid tissue where b- & t-cells acquire surface receptors
— bone marrow for b cells and thymus for t cells
What is the secondary lymphoid tissue?
Mature b- & t-cells secondarily migrate to all other lymphoid tissue
What are malignant tumors of the immune system called when they involve a solid organ?
lymphomas
What are malignant tumors of the immune system called when they involve blood?
leukemias
What do lymphatic vessels allow for?
- route which allows cells and large molecules in ECM to re-enter the bloodstream
- assist circulation of lymphocytes
- concentrate antigens for elimination within lymph nodes
What activates a lymphocyte?
antigen binds to their surface receptor
What cell constantly patrols the body, circulates in blood,
lymph and extracellular fluid, and pauses in organized
lymphoid tissue?
lymphocytes
What does the binding of B cell receptors depend on?
shape and electrical charge
What does binding to T cell receptors require?
shape, electrical charge, and must bind to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)
What are the roles of T-lymphocytes?
- T helper cells (TH cells) - ‘help’ other cells to perform their effector functions by secreting a variety of mediators
- Cytotoxic T cells (TC cells) - kill virus-infected and some cancer cells. They require interaction with TH cells to become activated and proliferate to form clones
- Regulatory T cells (TREG) - suppress immune responsiveness to self-antigens (autoimmunity) and switch off the response when antigen is removed
- Memory T cells - develop from activated T cells to provide a ‘rapid reaction force’ for a subsequent encounter with the same antigen
Which T cell s ‘help’ other cells to perform their effector functions by secreting a variety of mediators? TH cells thus provide ‘help’ to B cells, cytotoxic T cells and macrophages.
T helper cell
What T cells s are able to kill virus-infected and
some cancer cells and require interaction with TH cells to become activated and
proliferate to form clones?
Cytotoxic T cell