Kuby Immunology Eighth Edition - Chapter 4: Innate Immunity

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to innate immunity as discussed in Chapter 4 of Kuby Immunology.

Anatomical barriers to infection

Physical and chemical structures that prevent pathogens from entering deep tissues.

Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs)

Conserved molecular structures found on microbes that are recognized by innate immune receptors.

Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs)

Molecules released by stressed or dying cells that can trigger an immune response.

Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs)

Receptors that recognize PAMPs and DAMPs, enabling the innate immune system to respond to threats.

Phagocytosis

The process by which cells engulf and digest pathogens or particles.

Natural Killer (NK) Cells

A type of lymphocyte that plays a crucial role in the innate immune response by killing infected or cancerous cells.

C-type lectin receptors (CLRs)

A family of PRRs that primarily recognize carbohydrate structures on pathogens.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs)

A class of PRRs that detect specific PAMPs and activate innate immune responses.

Cytokines

Signaling proteins that mediate and regulate immunity, inflammation, and hematopoiesis.

Inflammatory responses

Innate immune responses characterized by increased blood flow, vascular permeability, and recruitment of immune cells to sites of infection or injury.

Chemokines

A subset of cytokines that specifically direct the migration of immune cells to sites of infection.

Regulated cell death (Apoptosis)

Programmed cell death that helps limit inflammation and remove damaged cells.

Adaptive immunity

An immune response involving specific recognition of pathogens, characterized by memory and greater specificity.

Opsonization

The process by which pathogens are marked for destruction by immune cells through the binding of opsonins.