Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Basic Immunology > Lecture 1 (Week 1A) - Introduction > Flashcards

Lecture 1 (Week 1A) - Introduction Flashcards

1
Q

Why is immunology important and interesting?

A
  • it is of fundamental importance for life
  • immunology underpins vaccination
  • immunological techniques underpin many diagnostic technologies
  • many of the diseases of the modern world are caused by the immune system going wrong
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

The answer to most immunology questions is

A

“it depends”

• context is everything!!!

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Important features of the immune system

A

• complexity
• redundancy
• its basic function is to distinguish between
SELF vs NON-SELF

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

The basic function of the immune system is

A

to distinguish between SELF and NON-SELF

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Even low-grade pathogens find us nourishing

A
  1. bacteria in the gut (10,000 species)
  2. Staphlycocci on skin
  3. Klebsiella/Neisseria/Pneumococci in throat
    • when they get into the wrong place, without an immune system, we die
    • even with an immune system they can still kill us
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

HIV kills

A

immune cells (T-cells)
• patients die of opportunistic infections
(Pneumocystis carinii, Cryptosporidium, atypical Mycobacteria_

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

The immune system is very complex, with lots of different potential problems, but the most extreme phenotype is

A

lack of lymphocytes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

SCID

A

severe combined immune deficiency
• lack of lymphocytes
• lots of causes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

A baby with SCID may have

A 
recurrent bacterial, viral, or fungal infections
that are much more serious and 
less responsive to treatment
than would normally be expected.
These can include
• ear infections (acute otitis media)
• sinus infections (sinusitis)
• oral thrush (a type of yeast infection in the mouth)
• skin infections
• meningitis
• pneumonia
• infants with SCID may also have chronic diarrhea
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

The cells of the immune system come from

A

a stem cell in the marrow

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

T cells mature in the

A

thymus (hence T)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

B cells are so-called because

A

they were identified in the chicken Bursa

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

In mammals, most b cells are made in

A

bone barrow

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Primary lymphoid tissues

A

Bursa

Thymus
• capsule
• thymic corpuscle
• thymic lobule
• cortex
• medulla
• interlobular septum

(ask about bone marrow)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Secondary lymphoid tissue

A
  • tonsils
  • lymph nodes
  • lymphatic vessels
  • liver
  • spleen
  • Peyer’s patch on small intestine
  • appendix
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Key basic concepts in immunology

A
  1. the immune system recognizes pathogens by responding to non-self
  2. an antigen is anything which elicits an adaptive immune response
    • self antigen
    • foreign antigen
  3. the adaptive immune system shows exquisite specificity
  4. like the brain, the immune system has memory
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

The immune system recognizes pathogens by

A

responding to non-self

• self vs non-self

18
Q

An antigen is

A

anything which elicits an adaptive immune response
• self antigen - when the immune system goes awry and starts responding to self
• foreign antigen - when the antigen comes from outside you

19
Q

Self antigen

A

when the immune system goes awry and starts responding to self

20
Q

Foreign antigen

A

when the antigen comes from outside you

21
Q

Immune cells need to respond to foreign molecules (pathogens) - they use

A

surface receptors

Lymphocyte (T or B)
• antigen specific T cell receptor
• antigen specific B cell receptor
-->
massive cell division then effector function
(adaptive immunity)
Phagocyte
• pattern recognition receptors
• Fc receptors
--> 
do their business immediately
(innate immunity)
22
Q

Surface receptors - Lymphocyte

A 
Lymphocyte (T or B)
• antigen specific T cell receptor
• antigen specific B cell receptor
-->
massive cell division then effector function
(adaptive immunity)
23
Q

Surface receptors - Phagocyte

A 
Phagocyte
• pattern recognition receptors
• Fc receptors
--> 
do their business immediately
(innate immunity)
24
Q

In health, white cells are

A
  • in blood and lymph nodes

* not in tissues

25
Q

Innate immunity eg step on nail

A

normally, neurophil in blood remains in vessel

step on a rusty nail
(how does the host know the infection is there?)
• neurophil in blood leaves vessel
--> bacteria phagocytosed and killed
• endothelial cells
  cytkines increase adhesion molecules
• vessel becomes sticky
26
Q

Pathogen-associated molecular patterns

A
  • gram + and gram - bacterial cell wall
  • virus
  • bacterial flagella
  • eukaryotes (us)
27
Q

The Toll-like receptors

A

molecules on the surface of mammalian cells which recognize components of bacteria and viruses to alert the immune system
• 10 of them
–> cell becomes activated and starts to make pro-inflammatory cytokines

28
Q

A spot is

A

inflammation and tissue injury caused by white cells leaving the blood and going into a follicle to kill skin bacteria growing in the wrong place

29
Q

Acne

A

inflammation is when white cells leave the blood and move into the tissues - and in the process of getting rid of the bugs, kill normal tissue as well
• neutrophils produce, and are full of, dangerous molecules and die in tissues
–> destroys normal tissue as well

30
Q

Ulcerative colitis

A
  • neutrophils
  • crypt abcesses
  • usually superficial
  • organ specific
31
Q

Adaptive immunity

A
  • at birth we already have T and B cells which can recognize billions of different foreing antigens, wo we are ready for any infections
  • but as there are 10^13 cells in our body, we cannot devote them all to the immune system
  • if we have 10^11 lymphocytes which can respond to 10^10 antigens, it means we only have a few cells for each antigen
  • so we need to make sure these cells see a pathogen quickly, and really get going fast - or else you die
32
Q

We have T and B cells that recognize

A

harmful non-self
but not many
(adaptive immunity)

33
Q

What happens when a B cell becomes activated?

A

Clonal expansion
T cell help
Memory
Make protective antibodies

34
Q

Clonal expansion (T cells) controlled by

A

IL-2

Mediate immunity
Memory

35
Q

Vaccination - the triumph of

A

immunological memory
• Edward Jenner (1749-1823)
• noticed that milkmaids who caught cowpox did not get smallpox
• scraped fluid from a cowpox blister into the skin of 8yrold James Phipps who got a bit sick and recovered
• Phipps was then immune to cowpox and smal pox

36
Q

After vaccination we respond

A

make more lymphocytes for the vaccine-memory cells

are also “primed”

37
Q

Modern immunology is all about

A

communication

• cells have to know where they are and what is around them

38
Q

Cells have thousands of different receptors to

A

sense the environment
• other cells
• hormones (chemical messengers)
• extracellular matrix

39
Q

Receptors transmit signals from

A

the cell surface

to the nucleus to change gene expression and function

40
Q

Inverse relation between the

A

incidence of prototypical infectious diseases and incidence of immune disorders from 1950-2000

41
Q

Complex inflammatory diseases of the modern world

A 
overactivity of the immune system
• Crohm's
• psoriasis
• rheumatoid arthritis
• ulcerative colitis
asthma
allergies
autoimmune diseases eg
• type 1 diabetes
• multiple sclerosis
• SLE

Basic Immunology (15 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions