Adaptive Immunity

This set of flashcards provides vocabulary related to adaptive immunity, including key terms and definitions relevant to understanding the immune system.

Adaptive Immunity

A type of immunity that develops over time and involves the activation of specific lymphocytes.

B Cells

Lymphocytes that are responsible for producing antibodies to fight off pathogens.

T Cells

Lymphocytes that provide a cellular immune response, recognizing and destroying infected cells.

Antigens

Substances that provoke an immune response; can be complete or incomplete (hapten).

MHC Proteins

Major histocompatibility complex proteins that present antigens to lymphocytes to distinguish self from non-self.

CD Markers

Cell surface proteins (e.g., CD4 and CD8) that help identify T cell subsets.

Immunocompetence

The ability of a lymphocyte to recognize specific antigens.

Self-Tolerance

The unresponsiveness of immune cells to self-antigens to prevent autoimmunity.

Epitope

The specific part of an antigen that is recognized by antibodies or lymphocyte receptors.

Antigen-Presenting Cells (APCs)

Cells that process and present antigens to T cells, including dendritic cells and macrophages.

Lymphopoiesis

The process of lymphocyte development and maturation.

Cytotoxic T Cells

A type of T cell that directly kills infected or cancerous cells.

Helper T Cells

A type of T cell that aids other immune cells in the immune response.

Plasma Cells

Differentiated B cells that secrete antibodies.

Memory Cells

Long-lived cells that provide faster immune responses upon re-exposure to an antigen.

Humoral Immunity

The aspect of immunity that is mediated by antibodies produced by B cells.

Cellular Immunity

The immune response that involves T cells and direct cellular action against pathogens.