Immunology - Intro to Immune Response

Question 1

What are Antibodies?

Answer 1

Proteins produced in response to an antigen

Question 2

What is an Antigen?

Answer 2

Any substance which can stimulate an immune response

Question 3

What is the Complement System?

Answer 3

Circulate on blood as inactive precursor proteins. Activated in inflamed/infected tissue. Activation results in downstream cleaving and further activation (Complement Cascade)

Question 4

Immune System Components - Cells

Answer 4

Phagocytes = Neutrophils, Monocytes & Macrophages and Dendritic cells
Lymphocytes = T cells, B cells and Natural Killer cells
Mast cells, Eosinophils and Basophils

Question 5

Immune System Components = Soluble Factors

Answer 5

Antibodies
Complement System Proteins
Cytokines
Acute Phase Proteins

Question 6

What are Cytokines?

Answer 6

Small proteins and peptides produced in response to infection, inflammation and tissue damage.
E.g. interferons, TNF-a, chemokines, interleukins

Question 7

What are the Phagocytic Cells?

Answer 7

Monocytes
Macrophages
Neutrophils

Question 8

What are Monocytes?

Answer 8

Circulate in blood

Migrate into tissue and become macrophages

Question 9

What are Macrophages?

Answer 9

Long-lived tissue resident phagocytes

Limit inflammation, involved in tissue repair and wound healing and antigen presentation

Question 10

What are Neutrophils?

Answer 10

Circulate in blood
Short lived
Constantly regenerating
Rapidly recruited to inflamed, damage and infected tissue

Question 11

What are Dendritic Cells?

Answer 11

Present in “immature state” in peripheral tissue
Phagocytose antigens
Mature and migrate into secondary lymphoid tissues where they aid antigen presentation

Question 12

What are Mast Cells?

Answer 12

Reside in tissues and protect mucosal surfaces

Question 13

What are Basophils and Eosinophils?

Answer 13

Circulate in blood

Recruited to sited of infection by inflammatory signals

Question 14

Role of Mast Cells, Basophils and Eosinophils

Answer 14

Highly granular cells

Release chemicals in response to large pathogens that cannot be phagocytosed

Question 15

What are Natural Killer Cells?

Answer 15

Large granular lymphocytes
Can kill tumour cells and virally infected cells
Also kill antibody-bound cells and pathogens

Question 16

Role of T Cells and B Cells

Answer 16

Mature cells constantly circulate through blood, lymph and secondary lymphoid tissues
Inactive until they meet a pathogen/antigen

Question 17

What do B Cells do?

Answer 17

Production and secretion of antibodies against extracellular pathogens

Question 18

What kinds of T cells are there and what is their role?

Answer 18

Defence against intracellular pathogens
Helper T Cells = Regulators of immune system
Cytotoxic T Cells = Kill virally infected body cells

Question 19

What is the response of the Innate Immune System like?

Answer 19

Rapid response

Same general response to many pathogens

Question 20

What is the response of the Adaptive Immune System like?

Answer 20

Slow response
Unique response for each pathogen
Mediated by T and B cells
Responsible for immunological memory

Question 21

What are the Primary Lymphoid Tissues?

Answer 21

Sites of leukocyte development

Bone marrow, thymus

Question 22

What are the Secondary Lymphoid Tissues?

Answer 22

Sites of initiation of adaptive immune response
Contain T cells, B cells and dendritic cells
Spleen, Lymph nodes, Adenoid, Tonsils

Question 23

What is the role of the Lymphatic System?

Answer 23

Drain fluid from body tissue

Lymph nodes trap pathogens and antiges in lymph

Question 24

What is Lymphoedema?

Answer 24

Lymphatic obstruction

Risk of infection