Innate and Adaptive Immunity; Antibiotics and Epidemic Concepts

Flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on innate and adaptive immunity, epidemiology, and antibiotics.

Innate Immunity

The first line of defense against infection, consisting of physical barriers, inflammation, fever, and various immune cells.

Phagocytosis

The process by which immune cells engulf and digest foreign particles.

Macrophages

A type of phagocyte that engulfs and destroys bacteria and displays antigens to initiate adaptive immunity.

Neutrophils

White blood cells that respond quickly to infection, releasing substances to kill pathogens and aid other immune cells.

Natural Killer (NK) Cell

A type of lymphocyte that destroys abnormal cells, such as cancerous or virus-infected cells, through direct contact.

Interferon

A protein produced in response to viral infections, coordinating defenses and triggering antiviral protein synthesis in uninfected cells.

Complement system

A series of proteins that enhance the ability of antibodies to clear pathogens, playing a critical role in innate immunity.

Antigen Presentation

The process whereby cells display antigens on their surfaces to activate T-cells and B-cells.

T-cells

A type of lymphocyte that plays a central role in cell-mediated immunity; key players in adaptive immune responses.

B-cells

Lymphocytes responsible for producing antibodies; crucial for humoral immunity.

Antibodies

Proteins produced by B-cells that bind to specific antigens, marking them for destruction.

Primary Immune Response

The body's initial response to a specific antigen, leading to antibody production and memory cell formation.

Secondary Immune Response

A faster and stronger response to a previously encountered antigen, involving memory cells.

Vaccination

Exposure to antigens to elicit an adaptive immune response without causing disease.

Epidemiology

The study of how diseases spread, their causes, and their effects on populations.

Communicable Disease

Diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another.

Non-communicable Disease

Diseases that cannot be spread between individuals.

Zoonotic Disease

Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.

Carrier

An individual who carries a pathogen without showing symptoms and can spread it to others.

Vector

An organism that transmits infectious agents from one host to another, such as mosquitoes or ticks.

Antibiotic

A substance that inhibits the growth of or kills bacteria and is primarily used to treat bacterial infections.

Antibiotic Resistance

The ability of bacteria to survive and grow despite the presence of antibiotics that would normally kill them.

Bacteriostatic

Antibiotics that inhibit bacterial growth without killing bacteria directly.

Bactericidal

Antibiotics that kill bacteria directly by targeting vital cell functions.

Selective Toxicity

The ability of an antibiotic to harm bacterial cells without harming human cells.

Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance

Ways bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, such as alteration of target sites, production of enzymes to degrade antibiotics, and efflux pumps.