Exam 3: Innate And Adaptive Immune Response Flashcards
What are the external defenses of the immune system and what does it protect?
Physical barriers such as the skin and mucous membrane
Protect the body from pathogens
What do macrophages and neutrophils do?
White blood cells that eat up germs and help fight infections
What are the stages of phagocytosis?
Phagocytes are attracted to the infection then attached to it
Then wraps around and swallows it
The phagocyte is the broken down and destroyed
What happens if a macrophage can’t break down bacteria on its own?
Other immune cells try to help to break it down
The cycle repeats until it’s gone
What are natural killer cells?
Cells that roam around looking for infected cells
They find them and destroy them
What are pattern recognition?
Identifying harmful invaders like bacteria
Once recognized it knows how to respond
What chemicals and proteins mediate the immune response?
Cytokines: messengers that communicate
Antibodies: Y proteins that recognize harmful cells
Interferons: protect cells from viruses by replicating
What is inflammation and some benefits?
Caused by an infection and is essentially good because it means that cells are fighting off bacteria
Benefits: kills germs, repairs tissue
What are the four signs of inflamed tissue?
Redness, swelling, heat, and pain
Describe the process of inflammation
Alarm: when it senses an infection
Response: special cells rush to see what is happening
Cleanup: cells release chemicals that make blood vessels leaky; helps immune cells get to the area to fight off germs
Healing: inflammation begins to repair
Why do fevers help fight infections?
They create a hotter environment that makes it harder for germs to survive and reproduce
Also helps activate the body’s immune system
