Unit 5: The Immune System Flashcards
What is the immune system based on?
recognition with the help of cell surface proteins
Cell Surface Proteins
recognize foreign bodies
Pathogens
disease causing agent
What are examples of pathogens? (2)
- virus
- bacteria
Disease
something that disrupts the bay and its function
How many ways can pathogens be transmitted?
6
What are the ways pathogens can be transmitted? (6)
- contact
- cuts
- droplets/aerosols
- food/water
- sex
- insects
How can pathogens be transmitted via contact? (2)
- sick person touches healthy person and pathogen enters through opening
- not washing hand makes this easier
How can pathogens be transmitted via cuts? (2)
- pathogens enter the body and pass directly into the blood stream
- allowing the cut to bleed allows toxins to be flushed out
How can pathogens be transmitted via droplets? (2)
- someone sneezes on you and respiratory pathogens are breathed in
- aerosols and droplets hold pathogens that commonly cause respiratory disease
How can pathogens be transmitted via food/water? (2)
- pathogen enters the body through the gastrointestinal tract
- bacteria manifests itself in meat following death after some time
How can pathogens be transmitted via sex? (2)
- pathogens enter the body through the mucus membrane of the genitals
- the opening and mucus membrane allow for easy entry
How can pathogens be transmitted via insects?
you get bitten by a bug, the bug leave some part of its anatomy behind, pathogen in bug gets passed
What the ways the body can respond to a pathogen? (2)
- specifically
- non-specifically
What is the first part of a non-specific immune response?
detection and response
What are immune cells called? (2)
- leukocytes (white blood cells)
- there are several kinds
Leukocytes
detect cells that don’t have the same recognition markers which warrants a response
What is an example of an immune response? (2)
- allergic reaction
- rejection of organ in organ transplant
What is an external nonspecific defense?
skin and mucus membranes
How does skin protect the body? (2)
- skin is a physical barrier
- chemical secretions like sweat (acidic)
How do mucus membranes protect the body? (3)
- mucus membranes secrete liquid to flush away and trap pathogens
- has lysozyme
Lysozyme
an antimicrobial protein
What is an internal non-specific defense?
phagocytes and inflammation
How are phagocytes and inflammation internal non-specific defenses?
immune cells that are non-specific cells engulf any substances not produced by the body
What are the most common phagocytes? (2)
- neutrophils
- macrophages
What do phagocytes do?
engulf pathogens and digest them
Macrophages (2)
- absorb and break down pathogens
- large cell
What happens after tissue damage?
clotting
What are the steps of clotting? (4)
- clotting factors are release from damaged cells
- prothrombin becomes thrombin
- thrombin catalyzes reaction of fibrogen to fibrin
- fibrin mesh forms over found
Thrombin
catalyzes the reaction of fibrogen to fibrin
Fibrin
forms a mesh over a wound that traps erythrocytes and dries them out
Allergen
causes an autoimmune response
Allergy
an autoimmune response to an allergen
Autoimmune
immune system attacks itself
What are allergens produced by?
basophils and mast cells