Glossary Chapter 1

Question 1

Define:

- Acquired immune system

Answer 1

• response that is specific, has a large scope, can discriminate, and has a memory.

Question 2

Define:

- Acute phase protein (also called acute phase reactant)

Answer 2

• protein whose concentrations change with an inflammation and can either be increased or decreased by the inflammation.

Question 3

Define:

- Acute phase reactant

Answer 3

• protein whose concentrations change with an inflammation and can either be increased or decreased by the inflammation.

Question 4

Define:

- Adaptive immune system

Answer 4

• system that produces responses that are specific, have a large scope, can discriminate, with a memory component.

Question 5

Define:

- Antigen

Answer 5

• molecules that the immune system recognizes as foreign. Important characteristics include (a) foreignness, (b) molecular size, and (c) chemical complexity.

Question 6

Define:

- Antigen presentation

Answer 6

• process by which a macrophage, dendritic cell, B cell, or neutrophil shows antigen to a T cell in a MHC class II molecule, also that process in which any nucleated cell shows antigen to a T cell in an MHC class I molecule.

Question 7

Define:

- Antimicrobial peptide

Answer 7

• peptide produced in the body and skin and by neutrophils and natural killer cells. These are less than 100 amino acids in length, bind to the cell wall of the microbe and increase the membrane permeability to ultimately cause death of the pathogen. Two major families of antimicrobial peptides in humans are defensins and cathelicidins.

Question 8

Define:

- Basophil

Answer 8

• rarest of the granulocytes whose function is not completely defined but it plays a role in inflammation and allergy; has blue-black stained granules after Wright staining, which indicates that the granule is basic.

Question 9

Define:

- Bone marrow

Answer 9

• primary lymphatic organ in which B cells mature.

Question 10

Define:

- C-reactive protein (CRP)

Answer 10

• sensitive indicator of inflammation so named because it reacts with the C-polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumonia

Question 11

Define:

- Cathelicidin

Answer 11

• a family of antimicrobial peptides produced by epithelial cells and phagocytes; provides protection from outside attacks at all the epithelial surfaces from mouth to anus.

Question 12

Define:

- Chemotactic factor

Answer 12

• chemicals that attracts cells to the site

Question 13

Define:

- Complement system

Answer 13

• involves 3 pathways of activation: alternative, lectin, and classical, which differ in the formation of C3 convertase; after this step, pathways the same with a cascade of proteins activating other proteins and so on until pathogen lysis occurs. Plays a role in lysis, opsonization, chemotaxis, leukocyte activation, immune complex and apoptotic cell clearance, coagulation, and memory of the immune system.

Question 14

Define:

- Cytokine peptide

Answer 14

• mediators that allows communication among different cells, cells signal by secreting a certain cytokine, that, in turn, binds to specific receptors on the surface of the cell receiving the signal.

Question 15

Define:

- Defensin

Answer 15

• family of antimicrobial peptides produced by epithelial cells and phagocytes; provide protection from outside attacks at all epithelial surfaces from mouth to anus.

Question 16

Define:

- Dendritic cells

Answer 16

• named for the long branching processes that they project. They express CD11c and are found in an immature state in the bloodstream and in a mature state in tissues. The concentration of these cells are very low, but they are very active and efficient in immune processes including phagocytosis and antigen presentation.

Question 17

Define:

- Diapedesis

Answer 17

• process by which white blood cells squeeze through the cells of the intact blood vessel walls.

Question 18

Define:

- Eosinophils

Answer 18

• contains red stained granules after Wright staining, which indicates that the granules are acidic. These cells are involved in anti-parasitic responses and allergic reactions.

Question 19

Define:

- Humoral

Answer 19

• the fluid phase of blood, when clotting has been allowed to take place it is called serum, when an anticoagulant has been use it is called plasma.

Question 20

Define:

- Immune system

Answer 20

• the mechanism by which the individual is protected from non-self. Composed of two general components; the innate immune system and the acquired immune system.

Question 21

Define:

- Immunity

Answer 21

• the discrimination between self and non-self and the subsequent protection from non-self.

Question 22

Define:

- Immunology

Answer 22

• the study of the reaction when the host encounters a foreign substance.

Question 23

Define:

- Inflammation

Answer 23

• the response to harmful stimuli and the hallmarks are redness, pain, heat, swelling, and sometimes loss of function.

Question 24

Define:

- Innate immune system

Answer 24

• includes elements that are available quickly, and are not specific to the pathogen in question. This includes skin, the acid pH of bodily fluids, normal flora, ear wax, mucous, the sneeze and cough response, phagocytic cell types, pattern recognition receptors and the internal and external components.

Question 25

Define:

- Macrophages

Answer 25

• CD14+ and are the largest white blood cell, they are called monocytes in the blood, and when they travel to tissues, they are called macrophages. Are active in phagocytosis.

Question 26

Define:

- Mast cells

Answer 26

• mast cells have a surface receptor that binds IgE with a high affinity, and this relates to their primary role in allergic and anti-parasitic reactions. Mast cells contain granules of histamine and heparin and are the cell responsible for most of the effects in allergic reactions. Mast cells are found in tissues, in connective tissues and near mucosal surfaces.

Question 27

Define:

- Natural immune system

Answer 27

• also called the innate immune system

- hallmarks are that it is available quickly and is not specific to the pathogen in question.

Question 28

Define:

- Natural killer (NK) cells

Answer 28

• nonantigen specific lymphocytes that have an antiviral and anti-tumor role.

Question 29

Define:

- Neutrophils

Answer 29

• are the most abundant granulocyte, and they contain neutrally staining granules, that is, their granules do not stain when Wright stain is utilized.
• Fifty to 70% of the white blood cells in the blood are neutrophils.
• The nucleus of a neutrophil is irregular in shape with multiple lobes, also called polymorphonuclear leukocyte, with the shortened names or either “polys” or “PMNs” used.
• Increases in acute infection, first phagocytic cell to appear at the site of inflammation.

Question 30

Define:

- Opsonin

Answer 30

• a compound that binds to the foreign particle and increases phagocytic cell uptake of the particle.

Question 31

Define:

- Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)

Answer 31

• the pattern on groups of microorganisms recognized by the innate immune system.

Question 32

Define:

- Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs)

Answer 32

• the molecules of the innate immune system that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns.

Question 33

Define:

- Phagocytosis

Answer 33

• the engulfment and digestion of foreign cells and particles.

Question 34

Define:

- Plasma

Answer 34

• the fluid component of blood that is separated from the cells when an anticoagulant is used.

Question 35

Define:

- Polymorphonuclear leukocyte

Answer 35

• a neutrophil.
• the nucleus is irregular in shape with multiple lobes.
• Increases in acute infection, first phagocytic cell to appear at the site of inflammation.

Question 36

Define:

- Serum

Answer 36

• the liquid portion of the blood after coagulation has taken place.

Question 37

Define:

- T cells

Answer 37

• are one type of cell of the acquired immune system.

Question 38

Define:

- Toll-like receptors (TLR)

Answer 38

• important set of cell surface PRR, 12 different Toll-like receptors in this family of molecules each binds to a different PAMP.