Immunology Flashcards

1
Q

Define immune system

A

an organized system of organs, cells and molecules that work together to defend the body against disease

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2
Q

Component of the immune system (3)

A

Organs
cells
molecules

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3
Q

Define immunology

A

The study of an organism’s immune (defense) system in health and disease

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4
Q

Diseases affected by the immune response (3)

A

Infectious diseases
Inflammatory disease
Cancer

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5
Q

2 organs of the immune system

A

Primary and secondary lymphoid organs

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6
Q

Main functions and 2 components of the Primary lymphoid organ

A

Function: Where lymphocytes (white blood cells) are produced and mature
Thymus and bone marrow

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7
Q

Thymus

A

school for white blood cells called T cells - develops T cells to not react with itself
Only 10% pass

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8
Q

Rich source of stem cells that develop into cells of the ‘innate’ and ‘adaptive’ immune responses

A

Bone marrow

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9
Q

Main functions and 2 components of the secondary lymph organ

A

Function: initiation of immune response

Lymph nodes and spleen

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10
Q

lymph node (3)

A
  • Located along the lymphatic vessels
  • Where lymph fluid from blood and tissue is filtered
  • Site of initiation of immune response
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11
Q

Spleen (2)

A
  • Site of initiation for immune responses against blood-borne pathogens (as blood is filtered through the spleen, these blood-borne pathogens are removed from the blood and destroyed)
  • 20% of immune cells found in gut
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12
Q

Lines of defence

A

The body ha 3 lines of defence against infection. These act together to maintain the integrity of our internal environment

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13
Q

3 lines of defence

A
  1. Physical & chemical barrier
  2. Arm 1 - Innate arm (cellular defence)
  3. Arm 2 - Adaptive arm
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14
Q
Already in place
Rapid (hours)
Fixed
Non-specific/limited specifities (detects molecular components shared by many pathogens)
No memory 

What are the above characteristics of?

A

Innate community

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15
Q

Characteristics of the adaptive community (5)

A
Improves during response
Slow (days, weeks)
Variable
Highly - specific (detects molecular components specific to individual pathogens)
Has memory
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16
Q

Components of the innate community (4)

A

Epithelial barriers
phagocytes
Complement
Natural killer cells

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17
Q

Components of the adaptive community (2)

A

B lymphocytes - produces antibodies

T lymphocytes - makes effector T cells which kill pathogens

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18
Q

Thucydides

A

First description of immunity (adaptive immunity)

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19
Q

First development of vaccination

A

Variolation in China - purposeful, controlled injection of something disease causing to protect individuals against small pox

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20
Q

Variolation

A

Injecting something disease-causing to prevent against a particular disease

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21
Q

Who brought variation to England

A

Lady Mary Wortley

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22
Q

Benjamin Jesty and Edward Jenner

A

The first vaccination of small pox

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23
Q

Vaccination

A

Inoculation (injection) with an innocuous (harmless) biological agent

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24
Q

Elie Metchnikoff

A

Discovery of phagocytes - Innate immunity

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25
Q

Peter Doherty and Rolf Zinkernagel

A

Discovery of MHC - self/non self recognition - Adaptive immunity

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26
Q

What part of our body acts as the chemical and physical barrier?

A

skin, mucous membranes - both act as our body’s first line of defense

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27
Q

Physical defence of skin

A

2 layers - Epidermis and dermis

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28
Q

Epidermis and its way of preventing pathogens (4)

A

Outer most layer of skin that forms the main physical barrier to pathogens

  • uppermost, outer layer of the epidermis consists layer of dead cells that are constantly shed/replaced which removes the pathogens along with them
  • cells of the epidermis are tightly packed together so pathogens cannot skip through easily
  • contains dendritic cells (Langerhans cells) which survey for pathogens and alerts the adaptive immune system
  • contains keratin
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29
Q

Dermis

A

Thick layer of connective tissue, collagen, blood vessels and dendritic cells

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30
Q

Chemical defense of the skin (4)

A

Antimicrobial peptides
Lysosome
Sebum
Salt

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31
Q

Antimicrobial peptides (4)

A
  • short strings of peptide that act as chemical defense against bacteria
  • Produced by epithelial cells lining mucosal surfaces and keratinocytes in the skin
  • Has a broad spectrum activity against microbes: active against bacteria, fungi and virus
  • often work by forming pore in microbial membranes causing microbes to release its nutrients and essential ions (attacks microbes by interfering with growth and reproduction
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32
Q

Examples of antimicrobial peptides and how they work

A

skin defensins - mostly work by forming pores in cell walls

Cathelicidins - can work by physically attacking microbe and act as chemoattarctants

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33
Q

Lysosome (3)

A
  • enzyme that breaks down bacterial cell wall

- Sweat glands constantly produce sweat which contains lysosomes to constantly break down bacterial cell walls

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34
Q

Sebum

A
  • Produced by Sebaceous glands present in dermis which associates with hair follicles
  • fat - oily secretion
  • maintains skin at low pH which prevents microbial colonization
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35
Q

Salt (major constituent of sweat)

A
  • secreted by sweat glands in dermis layer of skin

- creates hypertonic environment which can cause water to flow out of microorganisms and dehydrate them

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36
Q

Why does the salty environment created by sweat not affect our own skin

A

Because our outermost skin layer is dead

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37
Q

Where are mucous membranes found (4)

A

Lining all interior body surfaces that come into contact with the outside environment

  • eyes
  • respiratory tracts
  • Gastrointestinal tracts
  • Urogenital tracts
38
Q

2 layers of mucous membranes

A

Upper epithelial layer and bottom fibrous connective tissue layer

39
Q

Epithelial layer of mucous membranes (3)

A
  • Thin layer consisting of densely packet live cells
  • Constantly renewed/turned over due to local stem cells also found in skin)
  • contains mucous-producing goblet cells
40
Q

Main difference between mucous membrane and skin

A

The outermost layer of skin is dead whereas the outer most layer of mucous membrane is alive

41
Q

Location of the mucosiliary escalator

A

Within the lower respiratory tract

42
Q

Function and structure of the mucosiliary escalator

A

Function: to withdraw microbes backup from the respiratory tact
Structure
- consists of columnar epithelial cells with cilia at apical surface of the cell
- cells covered in mucous secreted by goblet cells which traps microorganisms

43
Q

Explain the function of cilia in the mucosiliary escalator

A

Cilia continuously beat to move layer of mucus along with the trapped inhaled microorganisms up the lower respiratory tract so we can sneeze and cough them out

44
Q

What contributes to the pathogen defence in the respiratory tract

A

The mucociliary escalator

45
Q

How does the gastrointestinal tract prevent microbial growth (4)

A

stomach - low pH and contain digestive enzymes
Gall bladder - contains bile which can break down lipids and bacterial cell walls
Intestine - contains digestive enzymes
Mucus

46
Q

Defence system in eyes

A

Tears which are produced by lacrimal glands and secreted into the ducts in the eye

47
Q

How do tears contribute to pathogen defence in the eyes

A
  • contain lysozyme
  • flushing action
  • drainage (tears collected by a drainage system in the corner of the eyes that feeds into the the nasolacrimal duct and drains into nasal cavity and then into the stomach)
48
Q

Urogenital tract and its way of defence (4)

A

Urine flow - washes microbes out
lysozyme
low pH
High osmolarity - high number of solute particles to prevent microbial growth

49
Q

Where are lysozymes present

A

In tears, sweat, mucus, saliva, urine

50
Q

What does infection with a pathogen provoke (3)

A

Anti-microbial peptide production
Interferon production
Activation of the complement system

51
Q

‘May act as chemoattractants to inflammatory cells’ refers to what

A

Anti-microbial peptides

52
Q

Interferon production is a response to what

A

Infection with a pathogen

53
Q

What are interferons

A

A type of cytokine (chemical messengers) made and released by host cells in response to the presence pathogens allowing communication between immune cells

54
Q

What are antiviral proteins

A

Type I interferon - a cytokine produced by many host cell types to combat viruses

55
Q

Interferon mechanism of action

A

Prevents infection in neighbouring cells by

  • signalling unaffected neighbouring cells to destroy RNA an reduce protein synthesis
  • signals neighbouring infected cells to undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death)
  • Activates immune cells (enhance anti-microbial functions)
56
Q

Side effects of interferon production

A

Associated with colds, flu

  • muscle aches
  • chills
  • headache
  • fever
57
Q

3 major hematopoietic stem cell types from bone marrow (in primary lymphoid organ)

A
  • Erythoid
  • Myeloid lineage
  • Lymphoid lineage
58
Q

What cells does the Erythoid produce

A

Red blood cells

59
Q

What cells does the myeloid lineage produce (4)

A

Innate immune cells

  • Granulocytes
  • monocytes
  • Dendritic cells
  • Platelets
60
Q

What cells does the lymphoid lineage produce and where they develop

A

Adaptive immune cells

  • B cells which develop in the bone marrow
  • T cells which migrate to thymus and develop there
61
Q

Granulocytes are what type of cell

A

Innate immune cells

62
Q

What and where are granulocytes produced

A

Produced by the myeloid lineage in the blood marrow

63
Q

What accounts for 3/4 of leukocytes

A

Granulocytes

64
Q

Function of granules

A

Store pre-formed chemicals that allow exact immune responses

65
Q

Name the 4 types of granulocytes

A

Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
Mast cells

66
Q

Neutrophils (6)

A
  • highly phagocytic
  • most abundant granulocyte in blood (45-75% of leukocytes)
  • short half life (1-2 days)
  • High turnover
  • Eat and kill
  • Number increase during bacterial infection and will die at the site of infection
67
Q
  • Some phagocytosis
  • Low number in blood (1-6% of leukocytes)
  • Release toxic granules to kill and breakdown microbe and parasites
  • Mediate allergic reaction
  • abnormally high in blood during parasitic infection
A

Eosinophils

68
Q

Basophils (5)

A
  • No phagocytosis
  • very low number is blood (0.5% leukocytes)
  • Release granules that mediate allergic responses
  • Some chemicals within the granule are very good at drawing in other cells to site of inflammation, can be done through vasodilation
  • Fight worm infection
69
Q

Mast cells

A
  • line mucosal surfaces (not in blood)
  • Release red granules - attracts leukocytes to areas of damaged tissue through chemotaxis (in response to injury, infection, allergy etc.)
70
Q

Which granulocyte exhibits no phagocytosis

A

Basophils

71
Q

‘Eat and kill’ describes which granulocyte

A

Neutrophils

72
Q

Which granulocyte is not in blood

A

Mast cells

73
Q

Which granulocytes mediate allergic responses

A

Eosinophils and basophils

74
Q

What do monocytes develop into when they move into tissues

A

macrophages

75
Q

Size comparison of monocytes to other cells

A

4 or 5 times larger than other cells

76
Q

Monocytes in blood

A

low phagocytosis - large nucleus and little cytoplasm

77
Q

Monocytes in tissues

A

Macrophages: High phagocytosis - large cytoplasm and internal vesicles for digestion

78
Q

Macrophages

A

Become resident/sessile or migratory (move through tissues)

79
Q

3 important functions of macrophages

A
  • phagocytosis
  • release cytokines (chemical messengers) to other cells
  • Show information about pathogenic microbes to T cels -> important link between innate and adaptive community
80
Q

Dendritic cells (3)

A
  • Rare but potent
  • found in low numbers in blood and all tissues with the environment
  • phagocytotic
81
Q

Which is the most important cell type in triggering immune response? ie. the most important link between innate and immune response

A

Dendritic cells

82
Q

3 ways the immune system cells move around the body

A
  • cells carried in blood and lymph
  • cells can leave blood and enter tissue
  • Lymph and tissue collect onto lymphatic vessels which drain into lymph nodes
83
Q

When does inflammation begin

A

Begins when there are injured/infected tissues which release cytokines that allow vasodilation so they become more permeable so cells can get from blood into tissue

84
Q

Signs of inflammtion

A

Heat
swelling
pain
redness

85
Q

What does inflammation cause mast cells to release (3)

A

Histamine - vasodilation
Prostaglandins - vascular permeability
Leukotrienes - vascular permeability

86
Q

Explain the process of diopdesis

A

It is the process by which cells and fluid leave dilated blood vessels in an inflammatory response to get to the site of infection
Neutrophils flatten against vessel wall and can squeeze through blood vessel walls which now has increased permeability and follows chemical gradient of mast cells to get to the mast cells which then causes mast cells to enter the site of infection

87
Q

Inflammation (5)

A
  • Increased blood flow due to vasodilation caused by histamine
  • Increased vascular permeability caused by prostaglandins and leukotrienes
  • Allows migration of inflammatory cells into tissue through diopedesis
  • Remove the invader and debris
  • Promote repair and regeration
88
Q

At what temperatures does fever occur

A

> 37 degrees

89
Q

What is fever caused by

A

Resetting of the thermostat

90
Q

Outline the fever response (3)

A

Pyrogens (interleukin-1) trigger fever response
Phagocytes produce IL-1 after ingesting bacteria
Decrease in phagocytosis leads to decrease in IL-1 therefore decrease in temperature