The Immune System Flashcards
Immune System
Split into two parts: non-specific (passive) and specific (active)
Non-specific immune system
AKA passive immune system; fights off all types of invaders; includes skin, mucous, and leukocytes
Lysozyme
Destroys bacterial cell walls; found in saliva, tears, and mucous; antimicrobial secretion
Mucous
Traps particles and microbes and transports them to the stomach by swallowing or expels them by coughing or sneezing
Monocytes
Type of white blood cell that circulates in blood and diffuse through capillaries to tissues where they grow and become macrophages; have pseudopodia; display antigens of cell that was “eaten” to T-cells
Pseudopodia
Pull in foreign particles which are destroyed by phagocytes
Phagocytes
Have enzymes and superoxides that destroy particles
Neutrophils; eosinophils; basophils
Other types of white blood cells
Mast cells
White blood cells that release histamine
Histamine
Responsible for allergic reactions and the inflammatory response
Inflammatory response
In areas of tissue injury, small blood vessels dilate, increasing blood supply to the area; causes characteristic redness and heat in that area; fluids move from blood into injured area (leaky capillary), causes swelling; blood fluids bring white blood cells to fight off infections; macrophages leave the bloodstream and begin to phagocytize foreign cells and particles; most of the inflammatory response is due to injury of mast cells (release histamine when injured, which makes blood vessels dilate)
Vasodilation
Small blood vessels dilate
Edema
Swelling
Specific immune response
AKA active immune system; includes lymphocytes and antibodies
Lymphocytes
Two types: B and T; originate from pluripotent stem cells in bone marrow; develop into T cells if they mature in the thymus and B cells if they mature in the bone marrow (B- bone marrow, T-thymus)