Unit 3 Flashcards
What are the 4 broad kinds of defenses that God has given us against infection?
- Knowledge
- “innate” immunity
- “adaptive” immunity
- antimicrobial drugs
What is “Innate” Immunity?
It is a non-specific, fast acting, small-scale form of defense against microorganisms. Can result in collateral damage, it limits the spread of damage.
What is “adaptive” immunity?
It is an extremely specific, slow to develop, energy expensive defense against microorganisms. It is only acquired after being exposed to a microorganism, therefore it is useful for preventing reinfection.
What are the 3 places where microorganisms and body defenses can meet? (list them in the order in which they usually occur)
- body suface
- interstitial space
- bloodstream
What are the two types of body surfaces where body defenses and microorganisms can meet?
- External (skin)
2. Internal (linings)
How does the skin (external body surface) provide protection physically? 2 ways
- Its cells are multilayered, tightly attached, and closely packed - hard to get through
- tight, mesh-like basement membrane
How does the skin (external body surface) provide protection chemically? 2 ways
- it is low in nutrients and high in salts (not habitable by most microorganisms)
- has germicidal chemicals like oils and acids
How do linings (internal body surfaces) provide protection physically? 4 ways
- packed layer of cells
- basement membrane
- viscous mucous traps microorganisms
- mucous is constantly flowing
How do linings (internal body surfaces) provide a chemical protection?
Enzymes in the mucous called lysozymes act on microorganisms with cell walls made of peptidoglycan, by cutting up the peptidoglycan
How do linings (internal body surfaces) provide a biological protection?
The natural flora in the bodies linings compete against pathogens. This is called microbial antagonism.
What are the 3 types of non-specific defense that the body provides beneath either body surfaces?
- Phagocytic cells
- NK cells/lymphocytes
- inflammation
How do Phagocytic cells provide non-specific defense beneath body surfaces?
Macrophages and dendritic cells reside beneath body surfaces. They work by expressing TLR’s which they use to recognize pathogenic invaders, they respond by phagocytosing them. (small line of defense, may be overwhelmed by microorganisms)
How do NK cells/lymphocytes provide non-specific defense beneath body surfaces?
When host cells undergo ‘stress’ they secrete a ligand, called MIC/A. NK cells/lymphocytes have a receptor called NKG2D which binds to MIC/A and responds in one of two ways. 1. induce apoptosis of infected host cell OR 2. secrete proteins called perforins that punch holes in the infected host cells plasma membrane
What four things occur as a result of inflammation in terms of non-specific defense?
- blood vessels dilate (vasodilation)
- blood vessels become more permeable
- reconstruction is initiated
- non-specific systemic responses to microbial invasion occur
What benefits does the dilation of blood vessels during inflammation provide?
It allows for blood cells (specifically neutrophils) to be brought in. Neutrophils provide defense in three ways: 1. they phagocytose microorganisms
- they release oxidizing agents
- they lyse themselves, creating a DNA net that traps microorganisms (the negative charge from DNA absorbs important charged ions essential to microorganisms survival
How can microorganisms protect themselves from the effects of neutrophils lysing themselves?
If they have DNase (like staph does) than they can simply break down the DNA net formed
What does diapedesis mean?
It means movement across, specifically across a membrane
How can the releasing of oxidizing agents by neutrophils be bad?
Because it can lead to a significant amount of collateral damage.
Why is it important that blood vessels become more permeable during inflammation? (what important things cross out of the vessels)
It allows for blood proteins to escape from the capillaries and into the damaged/infected area
What types of blood proteins leave the capillaries during inflammation? What other substance leaves the capillaries and why?
- complement proteins
- clotting proteins
- antibodies
fluid also escapes from the vessels due to osmosis
What are complement proteins /where do they come from? What do they do?
Complement proteins are made by the liver, it is always available and therefore provides immediate defense. It acts in two ways: 1. it attaches to microorganisms, marking them for neutrophils to phagocytose 2. bore holes in the PM which leads to lysis (could be bad bc collateral damage)
What type of clotting protein leaves the capillaries during vasodilation of inflammation? What does it do?
Fibrin, It produces a clot around the bacteria, this limits their spread. (unless the bacteria secrete fibrinolysin)
What do antibodies do?
If you have been exposed to a microorganism before, antibodies act by marking them so that they can be phagocytosed
Why is fluid exiting the bloodstream along with blood proteins during inflammation both good and bad?
It is good because along with water come nutrients. It is bad because it accumulates and causes swelling which causes pain.
How does inflammation initiate reconstruction of the damaged area?
It brings in more macrophages which remove the debris. It also brings in more platelets which produce blood clots, attracting neutrophils which stimulate stem cells to regenerate (replacing damaged cells)
How could chronic inflammation lead to cancer? (2 ways)
- neutrophils brought in by inflammation secrete oxidizing agents could lead to cancerous mutations
- replication of stem cell DNA could lead to cancerous mutations
What are the non-specific systemic responses to a microbial invasion?
cytokines production by mac/dc which leads to these 4 responses:
- fever: shivering + vasoconstriction leading to an increase in temp
- haptoglobin which absorbs Fe
- Energy diverted to body defenses
- alerts adaptive immunity that there is an infection
What are the 3 non-specific defenses in the blood?
- lots of neutrophils which reproduce rapidly in response to an infection
- macrophages, which are found in every organ that filters blood and lymph
- the blood has the highest conc. of antibacterial proteins (antibodies, complement, clotting factors)
What is leukocytosis?
It is a high WBC count, which indicates infection
What is leukopenia? How is it caused? (2 ways)
It is a low WBC count, it is cause by 1. an infection by bacteria secreting leukocides (virulence factor) or 2. blood cancers
What is septicemia?
Also known as sepsis, septicemia is a fatal systemic inflammation = septic shock
What is shock?
Any sudden drop in blood pressure
What are the 6 types of shock a person can experience?
- septic shock - widespread vasodilation
- hypovolemic shock - blood loss
- anaphylactic shock - IgE + allergen
- cardiogenic shock - drop in cardiac output and heart rate
- neurogenic shock - systemic vasodilation due to problem in CNS
- Insulin shock (not really shock because blood pressure stays normal) - glucose drop
What types of weakened defenses can lead to infections? (5)
- broken barriers (cuts, burns, punctures)
- impaired washing of mucous membrane (smoking, influenza leading to pneumonia)
- reduced number of phagocytic cells (malnutrition, cancer, chemotherapy)
- low energy level (fatigue, stress, lack of sleep)
- inflammation reduced by aspirin or ibuprofen
Which type of WBC secretes anitbodies?
B lymphocytes
What is the primary way that antibodies attack microorganisms?
By tagging them for phagocytosis
What are the 4 primary groups of cells in adaptive (specific) immunity?
- B lymphocytes
- Cytotoxic T lymphocytes
- Helper and Regulatory (administrative) lymphocytes
- phagocytic cells
Characteristics of B lymphocytes include (structure)?
They are small cells with a large nucleus, and they have hundreds of BCR receptors
What are B lymphocytes primarily useful in attacking? What specific type of immunity do they provide?
microorganisms outside of host cells are most commonly targeted by B lymphocytes. They provide humoral immunity
What are the BCR receptors on B lymphocytes for?
They are for matching with the pieces of the microorganism selected. Stimulating secretion of antibodies by B lymphocytes into the bloodstream.
Another name for Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTL’s) is…
killer cells
What is the difference between CTL’s and NK cells?
CTL’s are very specific have a higher affinity and work on a larger scale.
What types of microorganisms do CTL’s primarily defend against? How do they provide this attack? What type of immunity is this?
They attack intracellular microorganisms, they do this by inducing apoptosis. This is called cell-mediated immunity
How do CTL’s induce apoptosis of infected host cells?
Via a protein called CD178
What are tCR receptors for? What types of cells can they be found on?
They are used to match with pieces of of a selected microorganism so that the T cell can respond. They are found on CTL’s, T helper and T regulatory cells.
What do T helper cells do?
They secrete an interleukin which stimulates both B lymphocytes and CTL’s to proliferate.
What do T regulatory cells do?
They suppress or inhibit immune responses against normal, uninfected host cells. They do this by secreting an interleukin that inhibits the T helper cells secretion of their interleukin
How long after infection does it take the adaptive immunity to respond?
It takes 7-10 days.
What role do macrophages and dendritic cells play in adaptive immunity?
They begin the immune response by phagocytosing, processing, and presenting the microorganism
How do macrophages and dendritic cells process microorganisms?
Through lysosomes
How do neutrophils and macrophages respond to humoral immunity?
By phagocytosing microorganisms tagged with antibodies
How do macrophages and dendritic cells know what to phagocytose in the first place?
Because they have TLR receptors which are pattern recognition receptors.
How many cells are saved as memory cells? Why are they kept?
10 % of all of the proliferated cells, they are saved in order to prevent reinfected.
What are antigens? What types of cells respond to antigens?
Antigens are foreign surface proteins ( or polysaccharides) TLR’s on macrophages and dendritic cells recognize antigens as do BCR’s on B cells and TCR’s on T cells.
How do neutrophils recognize foreign microorganisms?
Because of complement or because of antibodies.
Which part of the antibody is known as the constant region and which is the variable region?https://www.brainscape.com/profiles/2558605
The constant region is the two heavy amino acid chains, it is the Fc region. The variable region is the one made up of the to light chains.
What is opsinization?
It is the “gluing” of an antigen to an antibody
What type of cell has Fc receptors?
neutrophils
Each variable region on an antibody matches a specific…
antigen
How are antibody classes categorized?
each antibody class has a different constant region and therefore some unique function.
All antibodies are made by?
B lymphocytes
What is another synonym for the word antibody?
Immunoglobin
How many types of immunoglobin (antibody) classes are their in humans?
5
What is the largest antibody (immunoglobin) class?
IgG
What are IgG molecules like structurally?
They are single, Y-shaped molecules that are relatively small, they are monomers.
Where do IgG antibodies come from? Where do they go?
They are secreted by B cells from the spleen and lymph nodes into the blood stream. They are small enough however to cross capillaries and end up interstitial spaces.
How do IgG antibodies work? (3 mechanisms of attack)
- They enhance phagocytosis by opsonizing (neutrophils will then attach to Fc region)
- They prevent uOs from attaching to host cells by attaching to their pili and spike proteins (neutralization)
- Paired with complement they are able to puncture and therefore lyse uOs directly
What is the structure of IgM antibodies?
5 Y-shaped molecules bonded together by their Fc regions (pentamer)
What is agglutination?
It is the clumping of antigen-bearing microorganisms
Where can IgM antibodies be found?
Because of their large size they cannot escape the bloodstream, so they would be located in the bloodstream.
How do IgM antibodies work? ( 4 mechanisms of attack)
- They bind up to 10-antigen containing uOs making phagocytosis way more efficient
- opsonization
- neutralization
- activates complement
What is the structure of IgA antibodies?
It is a dimer, two Y-shaped molecules bonded together
Where can IgA be found?
They are transported by epithelial cells into mucous secretions
How do IgA antibodies work?
They provide mucosal immunity by neutralizing uOs before they are able to attach to mucous membrane cells, causing them to simply be washed away.
What is the structure of IgD antibodies?
They are single Y-shaped monomers
Where can IgD be found?
Imbedded in the membranes of B cells by transmembrane domains on its H chains (not secreted)
How do IgD antibodies work?
They serve as B cell receptors for antigens (IgD = BCR)
Why do not all people have IgE antibodies?
Because they are the source of allergen responses, and not all people have allergies
What type of cell bind IgE antibodies? Why only this cell type?
Mast cells, because the Fc region of IgE is unique from the Fc region of antibodies
How does IgE work?
When it attaches to mast cells it causes them to exocytose massive amounts of histamine which causes inflammation
What makes up immunity?
Antiobodies (IgA, IgG, and IgM) and or memory cells
What are the 4 basic ways to acquire immunity?
- natural active immunity
- artificial active immunity
- natural passive immunity
- artificial passive immunity
What is natural active immunity?
Immunity acquired by being exposed to a reservoir, getting sick, and then recovering (takes a week before you have any significant amount of immunity)