altered immunity

Vocabulary flashcards from immunology lecture notes.

IgG

Antibodies; provides long term immunity; most common antibody

IgE

Responds to allergens and parasites & it triggers allergic reactions. (E for Environmental allergies and worms)

IgA

Found in the breast milk, saliva, and mucous; Protects mucous membranes.

T cells

Recognize and fight infections & especially viruses and cancer cells

Host defense failure

The body cannot defend itself

Antigen variation

Viruses like HIV change antigens

Latency

Viruses like herpes or shingles can go silent and return, later

Immunodeficiency

The immune system is missing something

Hypersensitivity (Allergies)

Is when the body overreacts to something that is normally harmless like certain foods, pollen, or pet dander

Allergens

Triggers for allergic reactions

Delayed hypersensitivity

An allergic reaction that happens hours or days later

Autoimmune disease

When the body mistakenly attacks it's own healthy cells

Autoimmunity

The immune system is not able to differentiate between the body's own cells and foreign invaders; causing the system to attack the body's own organs or tissues

Immune system

Responsible for recognizing and neutralizing anything that tries to invade the body

Antigen

A substance that is recognized as a threat by the immune system

Innate immunity

The body's first line of defense; non specific attacks anything that is foreign w/o distinguishing between different threats

Macrophages

Carry out phagocytosis, engulf and destroy foreign invaders

Natural killer Cells

Attack abnormal cells w/o needing a specific antigen > perform non specific cellular antigen destruction.

Dendritic Cells

Capture antigens and present them to other immune cells to initiate a response

Adaptive immunity

Specific to particular invaders learns from exposures and builds a memory for a more efficient response in the future

Basophils

Release histamine causing inflammation

Eosinophils

Respond to allergies and Parasites

Neutrophils

Quick respond to infections; Engulf bacteria via phagocytosis

Dendritic cells

Capture antigens and present them to T cells acting as messengers

Lymphatic system

Helps to establish and coordinate immune responses

Specificity

The immune system can recognize unique antigens and respond precisely

Diversity

The immune system can detect and fight many types of antigens

Memory

Remembers previously encountered antigens and reacts faster on future exposure

Self v.s. non self recognation

Can distinguish the body's own cells and foreign invaders

B cells

Mature in the bone marrow

T cells

Mature in the thymus

B cells

Recognize and remember antigens for faster destroy

Plasma cells

Produce immunoglobulins, aka antibodies

Cytotoxic T cells

Destroy infected cells directly

Helper T cells

Active other immune cells by Presenting antigens and coordinating the response; Help to activate antigen specific T cells

Leukocytes

WBC's found in the blood; made in the bone marrow

Passive immunity

When antibodies are given to a person, like an infant receiving antibodies from the mother's breast milk & providing temporary protection

Active immunity

The body builds their own immunity