Immunological Memory

Question 1

What is the difference between the primary and secondary immune responses of a particular infection?

Answer 1

There is a memory response associated with the second exposure to a pathogen, therefore the immune response is quicker and stronger in general

Question 2

What are the characteristics of a memory B-cell response?

Answer 2

Protective memory is covered by long-lived plasma cells, which can secrete specific antibodies from memory
Reactive memory is provided by memory B-cells

Question 3

Why are naive B-cells inhibited and memory B-cells activated in secondary immune response?

Answer 3

The response will be quicker and stronger with memory B-cells- they have already hypermutated and exist.

Question 4

What type of antibody remains in circulation after the primary response? Why is this?

Answer 4

IgG, in small amounts. This is to inhibit naive B-cells via the inhibitory F-cy receptor

Question 5

Why does the memory response struggle with pathogens changing strains constantly?

Answer 5

The memory response grows weaker with each strain encounter as it loses specificity each time

Question 6

What are the characteristics of effector memory T-cells?

Answer 6

Circulate in the peripheral tissues and already differentiated and ready to act

Question 7

What are the characteristics of central memory T-cells?

Answer 7

These circulate in secondary lymphoid tissues and not differentiated but more ready to act than a naive T-cell