Immune System Flashcards
5 physical barriers
Cilia, Mucous membrane, skin, ear wax, stomach acid
Five properties of skin and mucous membranes that prevent pathogens from getting in the body
Sticky mucous, PH level, skin is continuous, tough, dry
How does stomach acid prevent pathogens from entering the body?
Kills pathogens we swallow by having a very low PH level, resulting in an acidic reaction
How does ear wax prevent pathogens from entering the body?
Stickiness traps pathogens
How does cilia prevent pathogens from entering the body?
The hairlike structures sweep back and forth to sweep out dust and harmful microorganisms.
3 parts of the innate immune system
phagocytes, mast cells, and natural killer (nk) cells
What do phagocytes do to pathogens?
Engulf and destroy pathogens
What chemical do mast cells release?
Histamine
What does histamine do to the blood vessels and why?
Histamine allows white blood cells to leak out of blood vessels and go to the infection.
List 3 things that cytokines do to defend against pathogens.
Attract immune cells, activate immune cells, and activate cells that remove dead cells and repair damaged tissues.
How do NK cells defend against infection by viruses and some cancerous cells?
NK cells recognize abnormal and infected cells and cause apoptosis, which is cell death.
What is an antigen?
An antigen is a molecule on the surface of a pathogen which the immune system recognizes as non-self and knows to destroy.
What is an antibody?
An antibody is a protein produced by the body in response to an antigen. Antibodies are made by lymphocytes.
What are memory cells?
Memory cells remember when a pathogen has attacked the body and tells the body to prepare for it. They are made up of some of the lymphocytes.
What is the difference between the primary and secondary immune responses?
The primary response is the first reaction to a pathogen, where the body uses its surface barriers, innate, and adaptive immune systems to “fight” the pathogen. At the end of this “fight”, memory cells remember what the pathogen is for the next “battle”. The next time the pathogen comes is when the secondary immune response comes into the place. All of the systems like the surface barriers, innate immune system, and the adaptive immune system, as well as helpful information from the memory cells, to fight the pathogen faster and more efficiently.
