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Higher Human Biology > Immunology and Public Health > Flashcards

Immunology and Public Health Flashcards

(58 cards)

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1
Q

What is a pathogen?

A

Pathogens are disease causing organisms

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2
Q

Explain the meaning of Immunity?

A

Immunity is the ability of the body to resist infection by a pathogen or to destroy the organism if it infects the body?

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3
Q

What are the two types of immunity?

A

Non-Specific and Specific

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4
Q

What do non specific defences work against?

A

Work against any type of disease causing agent

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5
Q

How is skin a non specific defence?

A

Skin is made of epithelial cells that form a protective barrier against bacteria and viruses

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6
Q

Secretions such as tears and saliva contain what? and therefore what happens?

A

The enzyme lysozyme

Which digests the cell walls of bacteria and destroys them

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7
Q

When does the Inflammatory response occur?

A

The inflammatory response occurs when the body suffers a physical injury such as a cut and invasion by microorganism

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8
Q

What do Mast cells produce?

A

Histamine

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9
Q

What is Histamine and what does it do?

A

Histamine is a chemical that causes blood vessels to vasodilate and capillaries to become more permeable.

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10
Q

Explain what happens after a physical injury?

A
  • Mast cells become activated and release lots of histamine
  • Blood vessels in injured area vasodilate and capillaries become swollen with blood
  • Additional supply of blood causes area to become red and inflamed
  • The capillary walls become more permeable and leak fluid into neighbouring tissue
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11
Q

What are cytokines?

A

Cytokines are cell-signalling protein molecules secreted by many types of cell, including white blood cells at the site of an infection.

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12
Q

What are the benefits of inflammatory response?

A
  • Enhanced migration of phagocytes to damaged tissue
  • speedy delivery of antimicrobial proteins to amplify the immune response
  • Rapid delivery of blood clotting chemicals to stop blood flow and reduce further infection in the damaged area.
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13
Q

What do Phagocytes do?

A

Recognise surface antigens on pathogens

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14
Q

Phagocytes have many lysosomes which contain what?

A

Digestive enzymes such as lysozyme and protease

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15
Q

The phagocyte engulfs bacterium so lysosomes can do what?

A

fuse with it and digest it

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16
Q

Phagocytes also release what and why?

A

Cytokines in order to attract more phagocytes to the infected area to help continue the battle against the infection

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17
Q

Dead bacteria and phagocytes form what?

A

Pus?

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18
Q

What do Natural killer cells mount attacks on?

A

Virus-infected cells and cancer cells

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19
Q

Explain how NK cells work?

A
  • Release proteins to form pores in target cells membrane
  • Allowing signal molecule to enter and control cell
  • self-destructive enzymes are produced
  • cells DNA and vital proteins are broken down and kills cell
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20
Q

What is apoptosis?

A

The process of pre programmed cell death

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21
Q

Why are cytokines released by phagocytes and NK cells?

A

They stimulate specific immune response by activating lymphocytes

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22
Q

Explain immune surveillance?

A
  • White blood cells constantly circulate and monitor tissue.
  • If damaged tissue is discovered cells release cytokines which increase blood flow
  • therefore specific white blood cells arrive at site of infection
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23
Q

What is an Antigen?

A

An antigen is a molecule recognised as foreign by the body and therefore triggers a response from a lymphocyte

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24
Q

Each Lymphocyte has antigen receptors on its surface that are what?

Study These Flashcards
A

Specific to one antigen

25
Describe how a clonal population of identical lymphocytes are formed?
When a lymphocyte has been selected by an antigen the lymphocyte will divide repeatedly
26
T Lymphocytes have specific surface proteins which allow them to do what?
distinguish between self molecules on the surface of the body's own cells and foreign molecules on the surface of cells not belonging to the body.
27
What are the four blood groups?
A B AB O
28
Each blood group has antigens on the cells to do what?
so the body can recognise them as self or non-self
29
People who have antigen D on their red blood cells are said to be what?
Rh+
30
During birth the mothers and foetal blood mixes. if the mother is Rh- and foetus is Rh+ what happens to the mothers blood?
The mothers blood becomes sensitised and she produces antibodies against the foetus antigens
31
What is Autoimmunity?
Autoimmunity is when the body no longer tolerates its own self antigens and T lymphocytes will attack the body's own cells.
32
Name 3 types of autoimmune diseases?
Rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis
33
What is an allergy?
An allergy is a hypersensitive B lymphocyte response to an antigen that is normally harmless
34
What are the 3 types of Lymphocytes?
- Helper T cells(TH cells) - Cytotoxic T cells (Tc cells) - B cells
35
Describe Helper T cells?
- TH cells can recognise and bind to foreign antigens on any antigen presenting cell - This causes TH cell to become activated and starts the formation of a clone of activated TH cells and a clone of memory TH cells - Activated TH cells secrete cytokines which stimulate other cells including TC cells and B Cells
36
Describe Cytotoxic T cells?
- Each antigen has a specific Tc Cell able to bind with its surface antigens - After binding Tc cell becomes activated and then proliferates and differentiates - Gives a rise of clone of activated Tc cells and a clone of memory Tc cells - Activated Tc cells move to the site of infection under influence of cytokines which are released by TH cells
37
What do B Cells produce?
Antibodies
38
What are antibodies?
An antibody is a Y- shaped protein molecule specific to a particular antigen
39
What is a primary response?
After the first exposure to an antigen memory cells are formed
40
On the second exposure to the antigen what happens?
Memory cells are quickly cloned and creates a higher concentration of antibodies.
41
What is an infectious disease?
An infectious disease is one that is capable of being transmitted from one person to another by direct or indirect contact
42
How are infectious diseases caused?
Caused by many types of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and multicellular parasites
43
What are the many methods that infectious diseases can be transmitted?
- Direct Contact - Inhaled air - Indirect contact - Bodily fluids - Faecal- oral route - Vector organisms
44
What are the ways to control transmission of infectious diseases?
- Quarantine - Antisepsis - Individual responsibility - community responsibility - vector control
45
Describe the term epidemiology?
Epidemiology of an infectious disease is the study of its characteristics such as location, patter and speed, geological distribution.
46
Describe the term SPORADIC?
Occurs in scattered or isolated instances with no connection between them
47
Describe the term ENDEMIC?
Recurs as regular number of cases in a particular area
48
Describe the term EPIDEMIC?
Simultaneously affects an unusually large number of people in a particular area.
49
Describe the term PANDEMIC?
Occurs as a series of epidemics that spreads across whole continents or even throughout the worls.
50
State the appropriate control measures for infectious diseases?
- Preventing transmission - Drug therapy - immunisation
51
What is immunisation?
Immunisation is the process by which a person develops immunity to a disease-causing organism
52
What is meant by active immunity?
Active immunity is when protection is gained by a persons body producing its own antibodes
53
What is naturally acquired active immunity?
When a person survives infection by a a pathogen and then at a later date have a secondary response that produces specific antibodies.
54
Name an example of artificially acquired active immunity?
Vaccination
55
Describe a Vaccine?
- A vaccine deliberately introduces a weakened form of a pathogen into the body by injection, ingestion or nasal spray. - pathogen acts as an antigen and initiates an immune response. - the pathogen is damaged so cannot replicate but the specific antibodies are still produced.
56
What is a antigen in a vaccine normally mixed with and why?
An adjuvant to enhance the immune response
57
How to some B and T cells persist in the body?
As memory cells
58
What is herd immunity?
Herd immunity is the form of protection given indirectly to the non-immune minority by the immune majority of a population.

Higher Human Biology (6 decks)

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