HUMORAL IMMUNE RESPONSE

Question 1

What is the humoral immune response? (1)

Answer 1

involves the release of antibodies by B cells, it depends on the interaction between B cells, T cells and macrophages.

Question 2

what is the first stage of the humoral immune response? (1)

Answer 2

A pathogen enters the body, completely at random it collides with a B cell that has an antigen-receptor on its surface that is complementary to the non-self antigen on the pathogen. They bind together.

Question 3

what happens at the same time as stage 1 of the humoral immune response? (1)

Answer 3

at the same time, other cells of the pathogen are attacked by non-specific macrophages that engulf cells of the pathogen.

Question 4

what is the second stage of the humoral immune response? (1)

Answer 4

The B cell engulfs the antigen and digests it, The b cell displays fragments of the antigen on its surface bound to its own MHC proteins

Question 5

what is the third stage of the humoral immune response? (1)

Answer 5

the macrophage at the same time digests the antigen-carrying paathogen, it also displays fragments of the antigen bound to the MHC protein. Called antigen presentation by a macrophage.

Question 6

what is the fourth stage of the humoral immune response? (1)

Answer 6

the antigen-presenting macrophage comes into contact with a T cell that has an antigen-receptor complementary to the pathogens antigens on the surface. The two briefly bind, this activates the T cell which is called an activated T helper cell.

Question 7

what is the fifth stage of the humoral immune response? (1)

Answer 7

an activated T helper cell now binds to a B cell that has the same antigen displaying surface. this activates the B cell.

Question 8

what is the sixth stage of the humoral immune response? (1)

Answer 8

Activated B cell immediately divides by mitosis, forming clones called plasma cells. Here the antibody is mass produced and is transported out of the plasma cell by exocytosis.

Question 9

what is the seventh stage of the humoral immune response? (1)

Answer 9

after antibodies have destroyed the foreign matter the antibodies disappear from the blood and tissue fluid. A few of these specifically activated B and T cells are retained as memory cells

Question 10

what is the purpose of memory cells? (1)

Answer 10

memory cells are long lived, in the event of re-infection these memory cells make possible the early and effective response. (natural immunity)