lymph

primary function of the lymphatic system

To drain excess interstitial fluid, transport dietary lipids and fat-soluble vitamins, and facilitate immune responses.

innate immunity

The defense mechanisms that are present at birth, including skin, phagocytes, and inflammation.

2 types of humo

Humoral (antibody-mediated) immunity and cell-mediated immunity.

What are lymph nodes responsible for?

Filtering lymph, detecting, and destroying microbes.

What is chyle?

The fluid in lacteals that is white and viscous due to the presence of lipids.

What do T-cells do in the immune response?

They directly kill infected cells and help activate other immune cells.

What is the role of interferons in the immune response?

Produced by viral-infected cells to prevent viral replication in neighboring cells.

What is inflammation?

A tissue response to injury characterized by redness, swelling, heat, and pain.

What is the purpose of a fever in the immune response?

To make the body less favorable for pathogens and to accelerate tissue repair.

What is the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)?

Membrane proteins that help T lymphocytes recognize foreign antigens.

How does adaptive immunity differ from innate immunity?

Adaptive immunity is specific to particular pathogens and involves memory, while innate immunity is a general response to all pathogens.

What triggers clonal selection in T-cells during an immune response?

The recognition of a specific antigen presented by an antigen-presenting cell (APC).

What types of substances can act as antigens?

Any substance that can provoke an immune response, including microbes and transplanted tissues.

What is the function of B-cells in the immune response?

They differentiate into plasma cells that produce antibodies.

What happens during the second exposure to a pathogen in the immune system?

The memory cells respond more rapidly and robustly, preventing illness.

What are antibodies?

Proteins produced by B-cells that bind to specific antigens to neutralize or destroy them.

What does vaccination aim to achieve in the immune system?

To expose the body to a weakened or dead pathogen to stimulate an immune response and create memory cells without causing illness.