Exam 1 Chapter 4 flashcards

1. What is innate immunity?

An immediate, nonspecific defense that responds to general features of pathogens

2. What is adaptive immunity?

A specific immune defense that recognizes particular antigens and develops memory

3. How specific is innate immunity?

It is nonspecific and responds to general features of pathogens

4. How specific is adaptive immunity?

It specifically recognizes particular antigens

5. How quickly does innate immunity respond?

Rapidly or immediately

6. How quickly does adaptive immunity respond during the first exposure?

More slowly during the first exposure

7. Does innate immunity develop specific memory?

No, it does not develop antigen-specific memory

8. Does adaptive immunity develop memory?

Yes, it develops antigen-specific memory

9. How does the adaptive immune response change with repeated exposure?

It becomes faster and stronger because of immune memory

10. What are the major cells involved in innate immunity?

Monocytes/macrophages, granulocytes, dendritic cells, mast cells, and natural killer cells

11. What are the major cells involved in adaptive immunity?

B cells and T cells

12. What is the main job of monocytes/macrophages?

Phagocytosis and destruction/removal of foreign material and pathogens

13. What are monocytes?

Circulating immune cells that can enter tissues and become macrophages

14. What is the main job of macrophages?

Engulf and destroy foreign material and pathogens

15. What is the main job of neutrophils?

Phagocytosis and destruction of pathogens

16. Why are neutrophils important in innate immunity?

They rapidly respond to infection and phagocytose pathogens

17. What is the main job of eosinophils?

Defense against parasites and involvement in allergic/inflammatory responses

18. What is the main job of basophils?

They are granulocytes involved in inflammatory and allergic responses

19. What is the main job of dendritic cells?

Antigen presentation

20. How do dendritic cells connect innate and adaptive immunity?

They present antigens to T cells and help connect the innate and adaptive immune systems

21. What is the main job of mast cells?

Release inflammatory substances through degranulation

22. What are mast cells important in?

Allergic reactions

23. What is the main job of natural killer (NK) cells?

Nonspecific destruction of abnormal cells

24. Are natural killer cells part of innate or adaptive immunity?

Innate immunity

25. What is the main job of B cells?

Humoral immunity and antibody production

26. What do B-cell receptors recognize?

Specific antigens

27. What are plasma cells?

B cells that produce antibodies

28. What are memory B cells?

Cells that remain after the initial response and allow a faster response to the same antigen later

29. What is the main job of helper T cells?

Activate other immune cells

30. What is the CD designation for helper T cells?

CD4

31. What is the main job of cytotoxic T cells?

Destroy specific target cells

32. What is the CD designation for cytotoxic T cells?

CD8

33. What are general targets of cytotoxic T cells?

Virus-infected cells, cancerous cells, and damaged cells

34. What is the main job of suppressor/regulatory T cells?

Downregulate or control immune activity

35. What does the term regulatory mean when describing regulatory T cells?

They regulate or reduce the immune response

36. What is an antigen?

Something recognized by the immune system that can trigger an immune response

37. What is an antibody?

A protein produced by plasma cells that specifically binds to an antigen

38. What is another name for an antibody?

Immunoglobulin

39. What is the general shape of an antibody?

Y-shaped

40. How many heavy chains does an antibody have?

Two heavy chains

41. How many light chains does an antibody have?

Two light chains

42. What do the variable regions of an antibody do?

Bind the specific antigen

43. What do the constant regions of an antibody determine?

Other antibody functions

44. What are the five major classes of antibodies?

IgG, IgA, IgE, IgD, and IgM

45. What is a primary immune response?

The immune response that occurs when the body encounters an antigen for the first time

46. What happens during a primary immune response?

The antigen is recognized, B cells are activated, an immune response occurs, and memory cells are produced

47. Why is the primary immune response slower?

The body has not encountered that antigen before

48. What is a secondary immune response?

The immune response that occurs when the same antigen is encountered again

49. Why is the secondary immune response faster and stronger?

Memory cells respond to the antigen

50. What is active immunity?

Immunity in which the immune system makes the immune response itself

51. What is passive immunity?

Immunity in which antibodies are received from another source

52. What is an example of active immunity?

Getting an infection or receiving a vaccine

53. What is an example of passive immunity?

Maternal antibodies passed to a fetus/newborn or administration of antibodies

54. How long does passive immunity generally provide protection?

It provides temporary protection

55. What is humoral immunity?

An immune response involving B cells and antibodies

56. What major cell type is involved in humoral immunity?

B lymphocytes

57. What protein structures are involved in humoral immunity?

Antibodies/immunoglobulins

58. What is clonal expansion?

The proliferation of many identical B cells after a B cell recognizes and is activated by a specific antigen

59. What happens to B cells during clonal expansion?

They proliferate and produce many identical B-cell clones

60. What can the B-cell clones develop into?

Plasma cells and memory cells

61. What do plasma cells do during clonal expansion?

Produce antibodies

62. What do memory cells do during clonal expansion?

Allow a faster future response to the same antigen

63. What is opsonization?

Coating or marking something so it can be more easily attacked

64. How can antibodies contribute to opsonization?

They bind to an antigen/pathogen and help mark it for attack

65. What is an antigen-antibody complex?

A complex formed when an antibody binds to its specific antigen

66. What can occur after an antigen-antibody complex forms?

Opsonization and complement activation

67. What is cell-mediated immunity?

An immune response involving T cells and their actions on target cells

68. What major cell type is involved in cell-mediated immunity?

T lymphocytes

69. What is the main function of helper T cells?

They activate other immune cells

70. What is the main function of cytotoxic T cells?

They destroy specific target cells

71. What is the main function of suppressor/regulatory T cells?

They reduce or control immune activity

72. What is the difference between humoral and cell-mediated immunity?

Humoral immunity uses B cells and antibodies, while cell-mediated immunity uses T cells and whole-cell actions

73. What is antigenic variation?

When a pathogen changes its antigens

74. How does antigenic variation affect immune recognition?

Changes in the pathogen's antigens can make immune recognition less effective

75. Why can antigenic variation help a pathogen?

It can allow the pathogen to evade existing immunity

76. What is viral latency?

When a virus remains in the body in a latent or inactive state rather than continuously producing active infection

77. Can a latent virus become active again?

Yes, it can become active again

78. Why can viral latency make immune elimination difficult?

The virus may not be expressing viral attributes, making it difficult for the immune system to completely eliminate it

79. What is hypersensitivity?

An excessive or damaging immune response to an antigen

80. What is an allergen?

An antigen or substance that triggers an allergic or hypersensitivity reaction in a susceptible person

81. What is autoimmunity?

When the immune system reacts against the body's own cells or tissues

82. What is alloimmunity?

An immune response against another individual's cells or tissues of the same species

83. What is an example of alloimmunity?

Graft rejection

84. What is a graft?

A transplanted tissue or organ from one person/location to another

85. What is immunodeficiency?

An impaired or weakened immune defense

86. What is an opportunistic infection?

An infection that takes advantage of a weakened immune system

87. Why can opportunistic infections occur when the immune system is weak?

Organisms that are normally controlled by the immune system can take advantage of the weakened defenses

88. What is viral load?

The amount of virus present in the body or blood

89. What does antiretroviral therapy do to viral load?

It suppresses viral load

90. Which T cell type is infected by HIV?

CD4 helper T lymphocytes

91. Why does HIV infection of CD4 helper T cells cause immunodeficiency?

CD4 helper T cells activate other immune cells, so their loss decreases activation of other immune cells

92. What happens when HIV destroys or reduces CD4 helper T cells?

There is less activation of other immune cells, causing loss of cell-mediated and humoral immunity

93. What can result from loss of CD4 helper T cells?

Immunodeficiency and opportunistic infections

94. What does antiretroviral therapy (ART) do?

It suppresses viral load and restores or preserves immune function

95. Why is ART used in HIV infection?

To suppress viral load, preserve immune function, and reduce morbidity and mortality

96. Why are multiple drugs used in ART?

To reduce the development of drug resistance

97. What is anaphylaxis?

An exaggerated systemic immune response

98. What type of hypersensitivity reaction is anaphylaxis?

Type I hypersensitivity

99. What happens when a person is exposed to an allergen during anaphylaxis?

Mast cells and basophils degranulate

100. What happens when mast cells and basophils degranulate during anaphylaxis?

They release substances that cause vascular dilation, increased vascular permeability, and bronchial smooth muscle constriction