immunology Q&A Flashcards
(51 cards)
What invading enemies does the immune system have to fight against?
pathogens (invaders)
What are the main layers of the immune system?
- physical and chemical barriers
- non-specific innate immunity
- specific adaptive immunity
List three important discoveries that helped to identify the importance of the immune system and/or how “immunity” is obtained
- Edward Jenner observed milk-maids that contracted cowpox were resistant to smallpox
- Pasteur created the first vaccine (anti-rabies)
- The concept of humoral immunity was discovered in 1890 by Emil von Behring & who derived “antitoxins” from Tetanus
Describe the epithelial barrier.
The first line of defence, a physical & chemical barrier
one cell thick
separates microbe rich surface form body
What are the difference between innate and adaptive immune system?
innate = non specific immunity, includes first and second line of defense. slower
adaptive = specific immunity, includes t & b cells & antibodies. also dependant on previous exposure to pathogen. faster
-What is the most ancient immune response strategy?
the innate immune system
Define three main characteristics of HSCs (Hematopoietic Stem Cells)
1) all RBC and WBC develop from multipotent HSCs
2) is a rare cell type - self-renewing and multipotent
3) found mainly in bone marrow
What is the primary hematopoietic tissue?
bone marrow
-What are the cell types that originate from HSCs?
myeloid precursor & Lymphoid precursor
What are the differences between monocytes and macrophages?
macrophages are a differentiated monoctye
- increase in size, numbers, complexity, phagocytic activity, etc
- becomes a professional APC
What is the main difference between neutrophils and macrophages?
their lifespan.
neutrophils are short lived yet macrophages are long-lived
What is the main difference between dendritic cells and macrophages?
their role
macrophages = phagocytosis of microorganisms (innate effector cells)
DCs = stimulate T cell activation (induce adaptive immunity)
What is the main difference between Myeloid and Lymphoid cells?
the type of cell that they give rise to are all different
What are the analogies and differences between B cells and T cells?
-both lymphocytes
-B cells produce antibodies
-T cells destroy infected cells
What are the main/primary hematopoietic tissues in adult humans?
bone marrow & thymus
Why is the Thymus important?
it is the site of T and NKT cell maturation
What are the differences between the blood and the lymphatic System?
lymphatic system = drains lymph fluid from extravascular tissues, from capillaries through lymphatic vessel - lymph node - thoracic duct - back into bloodstream
blood system = pumps blood throughout the body
What are the main lymphoid tissues?
primary: thymus and bone marrow
secondary: lymph nodes, spleen, MALT (mucosal-associated lymphoid tissues)
tertiary: CALT (cutaneous-associated lymphoid tissue)
List the main lymphoid secondary tissues and describe their structures and functions.
lymph node: site of generation of T cell response and B cell antibody response to specific antigen
spleen: where immune responses are mounted against antigens in the blood
overall: this is where the antigen is trapped
How do immune cells communicate with each other and with other body cells?
through cytokines
What are cytokines
proteins that communicate among cells of immune system
What are chemokines?
cytokines that attract cells with the appropriate receptors to regions where the chemokine concentration is the highest
In how many ways can cytokines work?
3 ways: endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine action
How many classes of Ig are in vertebrates?
5:
IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE, IgD
