Immune System

What Immune System Acts First?

Innate Immune System

What are the External Innate Immunity Structures

Skin, Digestive Tract, Respiratory Tract, Genitourinary Tract

What are the Internal Innate Immunity Structures/Cells

Phagocytic Cells, Interferons, Complement Proteins, Endogenous Pyrogens, NK cells, Mast Cells

What is the Skin's mechanism of innate defense?

Acts as a physical barrier against pathogens, while secreting lysozymes that destroy bacteria

How does the Digestive Tract act as an Innate Defense?

High acidity (pH) in the stomach and natural flora in the colon to protect from foreign pathogen

How does the respiratory tract act in Innate defense?

Secretes mucus, moves pathogens stuck in mucus to alveolar macrophages

How does the genitourinary tract act as an innate defense?

Acidity of Urine and lactic acid of the Vagina

What is the main function of phagocytic cells

Ingest and destroy bacteria, toxins, etc.

What do interferons do?

(INTERFERE) Inhibit replication of viruses

What is the importance of complement proteins?

Promote destruction of bacteria, and they increase inflammatory response

What do endogenous proteins do?

Produce fever after being secreted by leukocytes or other cells

How do NK Cells act as an Innate Defense

Destroy cells infected with viruses, tumor cells, and mismatched transplant tissue

How do mast cells act as an innate defense?

Release histamine and other mediators of inflammation, using cytokines to promote adaptive immunity

What is the MPS in the innate system?

Mononuclear Phagocyte System, contains monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells

What are the Phagocytic Cells of the Innate System

Neutrophils, Monocytes (MPS), Macrophages(MPS), Dendritic Cells(MPS), Phagocytes of specific organs, Mast Cell, and NK Cells

What is the common mast cell response in the body?

Allergic/Inflammatory response, usually leading to bronchial constriction, vasodilation, and increased capillary permeability/edema.

How does a fever act as an innate defense?

Inflammation triggers monocytes and macrophages to release endogenous pyrogen to increase fever response, leading to increased protection in the body

What are the cells in Specific (Adaptive) Immunity

T Cells and B Cells

What is an antigen?

ID Marker for types of cells

How can an antigen present

It can present as "normal" aka self, or "abnormal" aka virus, cancer, pathogen, etc.

What is an antibody

Protective proteins developed in response to antigens

What are the primary Lymph Organs of the Adaptive System?

Thymus and Bone Marrow

Importance of the Thymus?

T Cells mature and originate here

Importance of Bone Marrow

B and T cells originate here, B cells mature here

What are the Secondary Lymph Organs?

Lymph nodes, Spleen, Tonsils, Peyer's patches

What are the types of T Cells?

Killer T Cells, Helper T Cells, Suppressor T Cells

How Do Killer (Cytotoxic) T Cells work

Glycoprotein CD8 functions to attach to "foreign" marked cells, destroying them

How Do Helper T Cells work

CD4 Surface Molecule enhances B cell and Killer T cell function

How do Suppressor T Cells work

They have no cell marker, act as a regulator (suppressor) of B cell and Killer T Cell activity.

How are T Cells activated

An Antigen-Presenting Cell has to be present, and in close proximity to the T cell, creates cell-mediated immunity

What are the antigen-presenting cells of the body

B cells, Macrophages, and Dendritic Cells

What does the activation of B cells do?

Forms memory cells that are indistinguishable from original cells and circulate for decades. Also forms plasma cells that produce 2k antibodies/second, and creates antibody-mediated immunity

Inflammation Event Order of Immune System Occurrence

1. Innate system activates, 2. macrophages and mast cells are released to find the foreign pathogen, 3. Adaptive Immunity activates, 4. T-cells engulf the virus, moving it to secondary lymph organ, binding to Helper T Cells to stimulate Memory cell generation and Killer T proliferation. 5. B cells produce antibodies for the pathogen. Then inflammation occurs

How does the "cascade of events" (inflammation) work?

Antigens identify targets to attack, the adaptive immune system processes targets for destruction

Not a flash card but go through active v passive immunity chart

would be too long to put here

When does immunity begin to develop?

Active immunity begins 1 month after being born, passive immunity comes from the mother

Difference between Primary Response and Secondary Response

Primary is first time exposure and takes 5-10 days to create antibodies, Secondary exposure is a re-exposure to the same pathogen, and antibodies are created in 2 days, and last longer.

What causes Immediate Hypersensitivity (allergic reaction)

Abnormal upregulation of B cells, IgE antibodies stimulate histamine release, leukotrienes and prostaglandin release, upregulating inflammatory response

What causes Delayed Hypersensitivity

Abnormal T cell Response, common with poison ivy exposure

How do Tumor Cells interact with the immune system

Tumor cells can reveal antigens, can suppress immunity, BUT can be caught by NK Cells.

How does Stress and Aging affect the Immune System?

Susceptibility of cancer increases, efficacy of lymphocytes is affected, cortisone (secreted by stress) acts as an immunosuppressant

What level and duration of exercise is recommended to improve the immune system?

Moderate intensity exercise for 30-60 minutes

What does high intensity exercise do to the body at an immune system level?

Initial surge of WBCs, but a drop in lymphocyte count, then 2-4 hours of immunosuppression, reduced activity of NK and T cells, increased cortisol and catecholamines (heart rate), mainly just an overall drop in the immune system

How do Autoimmune Diseases affect B and T cells

B cells begin to produce antibodies against "self" marked cells, T cells are activated to target self-antigens, RA, T1 Diabetes, MS, and Lupus are examples of AutoImmune Diseases