Chapter 8 Flashcards, Adaptive Immunity
(87 cards)
What is adaptive immunity?
The third line of defense, consisting of lymphocytes and antibodies, developing slowly and specifically in response to infectious agents.
How does adaptive immunity compare to innate immunity?
It is slower, specific, and has memory, making it longer-lived than the innate inflammatory response.
What initiates the adaptive immune response?
Cells of the innate system process and present antigens to lymphocytes in peripheral lymphoid tissue.
What are the two types of lymphocytes involved in adaptive immunity?
B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes, each with distinct functions.
What is the role of B cells in adaptive immunity?
They are responsible for humoral immunity mediated by circulating antibodies.
What is the role of T cells in adaptive immunity?
They are responsible for cell-mediated immunity, killing targets directly or stimulating other leukocytes.
What is clonal diversity?
The extensive diversity of antigen receptors in B and T cells capable of recognizing different antigens.
What is antigen processing?
The process by which phagocytic cells, primarily dendritic cells, process antigens for presentation to lymphocytes.
What are antigen-presenting cells (APCs)?
Cells that present processed antigens to lymphocytes, defining clonal selection involving subsets of B and T cells.
What do B cells develop into?
Plasma cells that produce antibodies.
What are the subsets of T cells?
T-cytotoxic (Tc cells), T-helper (Th cells), and T-regulatory (Treg cells).
What is the humoral immune response?
The arm of the immune response primarily responsible for protection against bacteria and viruses, mediated by antibodies.
What is the cellular immune response?
The arm of the immune response that defends against intracellular pathogens and cancer cells, mediated by effector T cells.
What is active immunity?
Immunity produced by an individual after natural exposure to an antigen or immunization.
What is passive immunity?
Immunity that does not involve the host’s immune response, occurring when preformed antibodies or T lymphocytes are transferred.
How can passive immunity occur?
Naturally, through maternal antibodies to the fetus, or artificially, through immunotherapy.
What are antigens?
Antigens are molecules that can react with components of the adaptive immune system, including antibodies and lymphocyte surface receptors.
What are immunogens?
Immunogens are antigens that can initiate the adaptive immune response.
What characteristics must an antigen have to be immunogenic?
An antigen must be of the correct type, size, and complexity and be present in sufficient quantities.
What are haptens?
Haptens are small-molecular-weight antigens that are not themselves immunogenic.
How do B and T lymphocytes bind antigens?
B and T lymphocytes bind antigen through cognate receptor complexes on their surfaces.
What are the receptor complexes on B and T lymphocytes?
The receptor complexes are the BCR (B Cell Receptor) and TCR (T Cell Receptor) complexes.
What is the antigen-binding molecule of the BCR?
The antigen-binding molecule of the BCR is antibody.
What are antibodies composed of?
Antibodies are composed of four polypeptide chains—two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains—held together by disulfide bonds.