Intro & Haematopoiesis Flashcards
Antigen
Anything that has defined shape that the immune system recognises as foreign
Barriers to infection
Skin, eyes, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, urogenital tract
What 3 sections can barriers of infection be split into
Mechanical, chemical, microbiological
Innate immunity
Cells and components of immune system which act without prior exposure to the pathogen
Complement
A cascade of (~20) proteolytic enzymes which promote inflammation and cytotoxicity
Inflammation
Movement of cells to the site of infection
What is a lymphocyte
Type of WBC inc. natural killer cells, T cells and B cells
What does adaptive immunity involve?
Selection and expansion of specific receptors - fine tuned to antigen structure
Haematopoiesis
Formation of blood cellular components
Myeloid
Similar to bone marrow
What specifies cell lineage differentiation
Transcription factors
What influences TF expression
Cytokines
What are macrophages?
Phagocytic cells found in tissues that ingest and destroy bacteria - inflammation
What is a granulocyte?
A WBC with secretory granules in its cytoplasm (neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil)
What is a neutrophil?
Most abundant WBC and granulocyte - phagocytic and cytotoxic
