Immune System Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about the immune system.

Infectious Disease

Illness caused by organisms or viruses that enter and reproduce inside the host

Pathogen

Virus or organism that causes an infectious disease

Allergic Reaction

Body’s responses to usually harmless environmental substances

Histamines

Chemicals that cause local blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow to area

Interferon

Proteins released by cells infected with viruses, preventing viruses from making protein and RNA

Neutrophils

Most abundant WBC, engulfs and destroys pathogens with chemicals

Macrophages

Ingest and kill pathogens, clear dead cells and other debris from the body

Natural killer cells

Large WBC that attacks cells infected with pathogens, puncturing cell membrane

Helper T cells

Activate both cytotoxic T cells and b cells to fight infection

Cytotoxic T cells

Attack and kill infected cells

B cells

Label invaders for later destruction by macrophages

Antigens

Recognizing features on the surface of infected cells

Clonal Selection Theory

Exposure to antigen induces white blood cells with receptors for that antigen to proliferate and produce large quantities of specific antibody

Passive Immunity

Transfer of antibodies from one person to another

Active Immunity

Immunity developed from exposure to pathogen and subsequent self-antibody production

Disinfectants

Powerful chemicals that destroy germs

Antiseptics

Chemicals that inhibit or prevent the growth of bacteria

Antibiotics

Chemical substances produced by living things, that stop the growth of germs

Capsid

Protein Coat

Lytic Cycle

Cell ruptures and viruses are released

Lysogenic Cycle

Viral DNA replication occurs without destroying the host cell

Vaccine

Weakened virus (or part of them) that stimulate the immune system to react

Prions

Infectious proteins

Kuru

Human prion disease found among native peoples of New Guinea who practice ritualistic cannibalism