Trans - Basic Concepts in Immunology Flashcards
(119 cards)
overall strategy of immune system
to recognize danger and avoid damage to self
danger - define
potentially harmful agent that may cause damage
damage - define
disruption of normal structure / function
disease - define
clinical manifestation of damage beyond some threshold
danger hypothesis / model theory
core function of the immune system is to perceive danger (rather than recognize nonself)
tolerance - define
unresponsiveness to self or nonself molecules (no immune response)
immunity - define
resistance to harmful effects of disease-causing agents
3 principles in disease-response framework
- host-pathogen interaction
- severity of disease
- host damage
hypersensitivity - define
pathologically exaggerated immune reactions with features of inflammation
hypersensitivity - examples
- allergy - hypersensitivity to allergen
2. autoimmunity - hypersensitivity to self
hygiene hypothesis
insufficient exposure of host to pathogens of natural environment during development leads to increased risk of autoimmunity or allergy
hygiene hypothesis - examples
- C section babies - not exposed to vaginal microorganisms
2. overuse of antibiotics
old friends hypothesis
- old friends - microorganisms very closely associated with the host during evolution (e.g. gut flora)
- old friends train immune system to regulate against hypersensitivity
humoral immunity - define
immunity mediated by soluble substances in body fluids (e.g. protein in plasma, serum)
cell mediated immunity - define
immunity mediated by specialized cells
innate immunity - define
immunity hardwired into genome, usually nonspecific
adapative immunity - define
learned immunity, response to exposure to specific antigens, usually specific
[T/F] innate and adaptive immunity are independent
F
[T/f] innate immunity is the first line of defense
T
antigen - define
substance with potential to be recognized by the immune system
antibody - define
secreted or soluble form of immunoglobulin that can mediate recognition of antigen by the immune system
antibody - structure
- Y-shaped molecule with two antigen-binding arms and 1 trunk
- 4 polypeptide chains - 2 light and 2 heavy linked by a disulfide bond
- antigen binding arm - 1 light chain+part of heavy chain
- Fc region - structure that can be recrystallized
how many chains are in an antibody?
4 polypeptide chains - 2 light, 2 heavy
what bond links the chains of an antibody
disulfide bond