Immunology Flashcards
What is the immune system?
A complex network of cells and soluble molecules which interact to remove a foreign object.
Defend the body but errors can occur
What is the importance of the immune system?
- Role in inflammation
- failure can cause disease
- disease symptoms are caused by the immune system reacting
- can be very beneficial to harness the power- in vaccinations and immunotherapy
What are the three outcomes when the immune system fails?
- immunopathology= tissue damage from an excessive immune response
- allergy= inappropriate response to an environment antigen
- autoimmunity= failure to distinguish self from non-self
What is immunotherapy?
Check point inhibitor therapy, inhibit T cell action
What is innate immunity?
- first defence against infection
- non-specific recognition
1. Barriers
2. cellular components
3. soluble factors
What is adaptive immunity?
Specific recognition of foreign material
Generates a memory for more rapid and vigorous response for a secondary encounter
Lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells
What are the barriers to infection for the innate immune system?
Barriers: urinary tract (low pH and flushing), Skin (physical, chemical and microbiological), Alimentary tract (physical- peristalsis, chemical), Respiratory tract (alveolar macrophages, mucociliary escalator) Cornea/ conjunctiva (blinking and antibodies in tears)
What are the soluble factors against infection in the innate immune system?
- Complement- mediates the humoral response
- Acute phase- similar to the complement proteins but activates the complement system
- Interferons- activate cells to produce antiviral proteins
What is the complement system?
Opsonises pathogens with a layer of molecules that cells of the innate immune system have receptors for.
What are the cellular components of the innate immune system?
- Phagocytes: neutrophils, eosinophils, natural killer cells, basophils, macrophages
- Natural killer cells
- Mast cells
- Dendritic cells
What do eosinophils do?
Kill parasites
What do macrophages do?
Kill intracellular pathogens
What do neutrophils do?
Kill rapidly dividing bacteria
What do mast cells do?
- Release histamine and other granules
- trigger an inflammatory response
What do dendritic cells do?
Activate adaptive immune response