Human Immune System Flashcards
(27 cards)
What’s your body’s first line of defence?
Skin, mucus, etc
What’s your body’s second line of defence?
Non-specific white blood cells
What is the immune system?
A collection of organs and cells that work together to detect and destroy pathogens.
Where are white blood cells made?
Bone marrow.
What are phagocytes?
Surround and ingest pathogens.
What is phagocytosis?
The ingestion of bacteria by phagocytes.
What is ingestion?
The process of absorbing a substance into a body.
What are some white blood cells that undergo phagocytosis?
Neutrophils, Monocytes, Eosinophils.
What is the third line of defence?
Specific white blood cells?
What are antibodies?
A protein made by lymphocytes that stick to the surface of pathogens.
What do antibodies do?
Make it easier for the pathogen to be ingested;
causes microorganisms to stick together;
causes microorganisms to burst
What is a pathogen?
A disease causing agent
What is an antigen?
A substance that triggers an immune system (usually chemicals present on the surface of viruses, bacteria, pollen, etc)
Why does each microorganism require a different, specific antibody?
Each microorganism has a unique set of structures on its outer surface (antigens).
Antibodies are are made specifically to fit these structures found on the outside of the microorganism.
Therefore each microorganism requires a different, specific antibody.
What are lymphocytes?
Memory cells that produce antibodies when a pathogen that had already infected comes back into your body faster and more efficiently. It also means a person can become immune to a disease.
Memory cells ensure that antibodies are produced…
-Quickly
-At higher concentration
When does a person become immune to a disease?
When he does not fall ill when a certain pathogen gets into the body.
Why does a person become immune to a disease?
Because the immune system destroys the pathogen quickly. Because it is destroyed quickly, the pathogen does not have enough time to harm the body and cause a disease.
What is a vaccine?
A substance that is injected into the body to provide acquired immunity against a specific pathogen.
What are vaccines usually made of?
Weakened/killed pathogens or parts of their cells.
What’s the process when a vaccine is injected into a body?
Lymphocytes produce antibodies to fit the parts of the microorganism that are on the vaccine;
Memory cells are formed as a result;
If the same pathogen ever infects the body again, the antibodies will destroy them;
Therefore, the person becomes immune to the specific pathogen.
Who is Edward Jenner?
Created the smallpox vaccine: the world’s first vaccine.
Called father of immunology.
What are the four types of vaccines?
Live attenuated;
Inactivated/dead;
Toxoid;
Sub-unit
Live attenuated:
Weakened version of the pathogen (can’t cause disease)
Measles, Rubella
