Immune System Flashcards by Becca Scott

What are the granulocytes of the leukocytes?

neutrophils
eosinophils
basophils

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What do neutrophils look like under the microscope?

they don't take up stain (neutral)
lobulated nuclei (polymorphonuclear)

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are characteristics of neutrophils during infection?

phagocytic

they increase in number during infection

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What do eosinophils look like under a microscope?

red

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are characteristics of eosinophils? (what do they defend against and how)

defend against parasitic worms
engulf pollen and animal dander
granules contain toxins that attack parasites

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What do basophils look like under a microscope?

blue

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are characteristics of basophils during infection? (what kind of reactions do they contribute to?)

NON-phagocytic

contribute to allergic reactions because their granules contain histamine

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are the leukocytes that are agranulocytes?

monocytes and lymphocytes

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What do monocytes look like under a microscope?

single, non-lobulated nucleus

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are characteristics of monocytes during infection?

phagocytic

migrate to tissues and become macrophages

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What types of cells are lymphocytes?

B cells and T cells

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the first line of defense in the body? (broad term)

innate (nonspecific) immune defenses

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are nonspecific defenses of the body?

physical barriers
inflammation
interferons
natural killer cells
complement system

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the first thing that happens when there is damage to tissue?

chemicals are released that first cause vasodilation in the infected area (increased blood flow)

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Is there an increase or decrease in protein permeability of the capillaries during an inflammatory response?

increased protein permeability

resulting diffusion of protein and filtration of fluid into interstitial fluid

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is chemotaxis?

the movement of leukocytes from the venues into the interstitial fluid of infected area

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Neutrophils exist in the bloodstream and can either be circulating or _________.

marginating (rolling along the walls of the vessels)

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

When marginating neutrophils detect non-self outside the vessel wall, they move into the interstitial space via ________.

diapadesis

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

FUN FACT: a patient that takes steroids, their WBCs will ______. (causing an apparent increase in WBC count)

demarginate

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is opsonization?

the use of opsonins to attach through a thickened cell wall or mucous covering on a bacterium

“slippery bacteria”

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What are mediators of the immune response that “live” in the area of inflammation, NOT in the blood stream?

mast cells

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the central component of the Complement System?

Membrane Attack Complex (MAC attack)

about 30 plasma proteins that come together on the surface of invading bacteria

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What does the MAC attack result in?

cell membrane rupture—lysis of bacteria—death of organism

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What is the complement cascade activated by? (Which type of immune response)

specific OR innate immune responses

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

What chemical released by phagocytes helps regulate the inflammatory process by "keeping the troops coming via blood supply"? (think vasodilation)

nitrous oxide

What chemical released by phagocytes activates clotting and anti-clotting pathways that helps to "wall off" the infection?

cytokines

Proliferation occurs during the final stage of the inflammation process--tissue repair. Proliferation of what?

1. new cells come in while damaged cells are recycled 2. angiogenesis for new vascular supply 3. fibroblasts multiply and release collagen to create "scaffolding"

What type of innate immunity is released by an infected cell to attach to other "self" cells and cause them to start creating antivirals.

interferons (now cells that have the interferon attached are making antivirals.....virus can get in but no replication will occur) DEAD END

What is the main constituent of specific/acquired/adaptive immunity?

lymphocytes

Lymphocytes are activated by "non-self" cells where?

Lymph nodes or spleen (they are constantly flowing from nodes, to spleen, to bloodstream, back to nodes to "run into" something "non-self" that will activate them

Lymphatic channels return a large amount of fluid to the bloodstream via the ________.

thoracic duct

Where are lymphocytes (B and T cells) ORIGINALLY made?

It all starts in the BONE MARROW with a pluripotent stem cell

Once B and T status is establish, these groups are "educated" separately. Where do each of them go?

T cells go to "boarding school" in the THYMUS B cells go to "day school" in the BONE MARROW

What is apoptosis?

programmed cell death

Apoptosis of all B and T cells that might be "anti-self" happens during ________.

embryonic/neonatal development "graduate or die"

Immune tolerance develops during fetal and early postnatal life due to _____ or ______.

clonal deletion or clonal inactivation

Why do pregnant mothers have a dampened immune system?

to tolerate the "non-self" of the developing embryo

What are some examples of immunodeficiency diseases?

SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency disease) Hodgkin's disease (cancer of lymphatic system) AIDS (affects helper T cells)

When B cells have unique protein binders on the cell surface they are called _______; when they secrete it, it's an ________.

surface receptor | antibody

T cells graduate from the thymus with specific receptors that only bind to a _______ combo.

antigen + MHC

T cells are further subdivided into _____ and _____.

CD4 (helper T) | CD8 (cytotoxic)

What part of antibodies are the same within a class? (G, A, M, E, D)

constant region

What part of antibodies differ for different antigens, giving specificity to antigen-binding sit?

variable region

How many chains make up an antibody?

four chains total | two heavy and two light

How many antigen-binding sites per antibody?

two (one on each prong)

What happens when an antibody binds to an antigen? (what happens to the antigen)

inactivation and destruction of the foreign antigen

What type of antibodies cross the placenta?

IgG | these are the most common type of antibodies

What are the functions of antibodies?

1. neutralization (kill them or render them harmless) 2. agglutination (stick them all together in a clump) 3. opsonization (make them sticky so that macrophages can grab and eat them) 4. complement activation (turn on the complement cascade so it can create MACs and make holes in them) 5. Enhance Natural Killer Cell Activity

T cells work in conjunction with what type of molecules?

Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)

Where are Class I MHC molecules expressed?

on the surface of ALL NUCLEATED CELLS

Where are Class II MHC molecules expressed?

on the surface of macrophages, activated B cells, activated T cells, and thymus cells

Are MHC molecules the same in every person?

no they mark our cells as "self" so they are unique to each individual person

If T cells see "self" molecules attached to an MHC, what do they do?

nothing

If T cells see foreign molecules attached to non-foreign MHC, what do they do?

activate to destroy anything foreign

MHC's stimulate the host's immune response to a donor's foreign tissue so they are responsible for what?

organ rejection

In order to prevent rejection, two things must occur. What are they?

1. the MHC between the donor and recipient must be as closely matched as possible 2. the recipient will have to suppress the immune system pharmacologically

Which class of MHCs are cytotoxic T cells activated by?

both I and II

What class of MHCs are Helper T cells activated by?

just II

describe the antigen presentation to T cells

the antigen gets ingested by the macrophage which chops it up and then presents it on their MHC protein receptor which can then bind to and activate a helper T cell

The little piece of antigen that's presented with the MHC is called an _______.

epitope

To get activated, the Helper T cell must: (3 things)

1. bind a Class II-MHC-epitope complex 2. also bind adjoining proteins 3. be stimulated by IL-1 and TNF from the presenting cell (paracrine activity) (key in lock, secrete handshake, activated!)

What is the job of cytotoxic T cells?

kill any cell that's infected/cancerous | mercy killing

Why are cytotoxic T cells activated by both Class I and II MHCs?

because they need to be activated by any cell that displays "non-self" with MHC

Which are more specific to particular antigens....macrophages or B lymphocytes?

``` B lymphocytes (but they BOTH ingest the antigen and they BOTH attract Helper T cells when they display the antigen fragments along with the MHC) ```

Cytotoxic T cells recognize host cells displaying invader/MHC complex and install ______ into the cell.

perforins | these work like the MAC attack putting holes in the membrane and killing the cells

Are NK cells specific or non-specific to particular antigens?

non-specific, they are like "rogue cytotoxic T cells"

If NK cells are non-specific, why are they still considered a part of specific immunity?

because they are ACTIVATED by exposure to helper T cells

How do NK cells work?

they "externally digest" non-self cells

How long does the primary immune response (1st exposure) usually take?

generally takes 10-17 days to occur after exposure | symptoms of illness occur during these days

What happens during the primary immune response?

antigen-selected B and T cells proliferate into effector cells

How long does a secondary immune response take to occur? (all other exposures after the first)

takes 2-7 days | greater response that occurs due to memory cells

What is active immunity?

an immune response to a vaccine it confers immunity because of the production of memory cells vaccination = introduction of a microorganism or its antigens

What is passive immunity?

comes from the administration of synthetically produced antibodies NO memory cell production so there is NO long-term memory and immunity

What immunity do we acquire from our mothers?

passive immunity, antibodies pass in the placenta (IgG)and breast milk (IgA)

What do erythrocytes have instead of MHC proteins?

plasma membrane proteins and carbohydrates that can function as antigens

Which blood type is the universal donor?

Which blood type is the universal recipient?

If a person as blood type A, they will display type __ antigens on their RBCs and have anti-____ antibodies in their blood.

A antigens | anti-B antibodies

Immune System Flashcards

(78 cards)