16 November: Introduction to the Immune System Flashcards
(23 cards)
Immune Defenses
Defense against toxins and pollutants
What characteristics do immune defenses have?
- Recognition (“us vs. them”)
- Activation (“right soldiers + weapons called up”: appropriate immune cells and molecules are mobilized)
- Effector (Mobilized cells and molecules attempt elimination: “trying to stop foes, to alert others to help, , and eliminate enemies
Innate Immunity
“Early alert system”: Alert for enemies, and to eliminate + hold in check
- Non-specific in response
- Rapid: Takes within minutes to hours
Adaptive Immunity
Protective soldiers with experience + training, like the green beret or navy seals (has memory)
- Specific in response
- Takes three to five minutes to a week to respond, and is slower than innate immunity
Two types of immune defenses
Innate + Adaptive
- Born with both, but takes time to fully adapt the adaptive immunity (lol)
Primary immune system
Bone Marrow, Thymus gland
Secondary immune system
Lymph nodes
Leukocytes
White blood cells
Lymphocytes
Red blood cells
Three forms of immunity
- Physical barriers and spatial dimensions
- Chemical defenses + communication
- Cellular defenses
Cytokines
Chemical signals for cell movement
Interleukins
Chemical signals between white blood cells
Chemokines
Attract white blood cells through chemo taxis (movement in response to a chemical
Physical Barriers
- Skin
- Mucous membranes
- Epithelial cells
Skin
Protective organ, needed to live.
Multiple layers of tightly packed cells that get shedded daily + takes bacteria along with it
Salty, and a decreased water availability creates a bad environment for bacterial to survive
Flexible and tough because of keratin and collagen
Mucous membranes
Respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems
Super sticky material that traps bacteria, dust, and fungal spores
Epithelial cells
Tightly packed like skin
Has a thin layer that constantly sheds (24-48 hours)
Moist (needs to stay well hydrated)
Peristalsis
Movement of muscles in small intestine, moves feces
Interferons
Proteins that protect from virally infected host cells + tells them to beware of infections
What do interferons prevent?
Infection replication cycles
Iron-binding proteins
Very limited, iron usually bound to proteins
Needs hemoglobin, lactoferrin and transferrin
Complement
Series of proteins that help bring phagocytes to site of infection + triggers inflammation
Also causes holds in bacterial membrane
“Brings in soldiers”
Can grab onto microbes
Antimicrobial peptides
20-50 amino acids, positively charged, mucus membrane, immune cells, neutrophil
