Lecture 1 Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is immunity
The ability to resist damage from foreign substances as well as altered
Immunology is
The study of our protection from invading foreign organisms and our responses to them
A foreign molecule is
An antigen
What is an antigen
It’s a molecule that provokes the production of antibodies by your immune system
What is the immune system
A multi component system that protects your from bacteria viruses fungi and parasites
What is the inverse food chain
Colonisation of large organisms by smaller organisms/viruses
How many bacteria cells
1x10(13)
What evolves more quickly
Microorganisms
What is an allergy
The immune system responding to something harmless
Edward jenner
1796- small pox vaccine
Success of vaccines
Last smallpox case= 1977
What is autoimmunity
Where the immune system malfunctions and attacks the patients own cells and tissues
Example of autoimmunity
Multiple sclerosis
Lupus
Type 1 diabetes
Basic functions of the immune system
Recognition
Response
What is the immune system composed of
Cells
Tissues
Organs
Categories of the immune system
Innate and adaptive
What response comes first
The innate response
What dose the adaptive system have that the innate dose not
Target specific receptors
Memory
Improvement
Recognition mechanisms of innate immunity
Rapid response
Fixed
Limited number of specificities
Constant during response
Recognition mechanisms of adaptive immunity
Slow response
Variable
Numerous highly selective specificities
Improves during response
