Immune System Overview

These flashcards cover key concepts about the immune system, including its branches, cell types, and functions, to help with exam preparation.

Innate Immune System

fast no memory and no specific

Adaptive Immune System

The slower, highly specific branch of the immune system that develops memory and generates a targeted response to pathogens.

Phagocytosis

engulfs foreign material

Antigen

A fragment of a pathogen that can trigger an immune response; typically a small piece of a protein.

Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC)

Proteins that present antigens on the surface of cells to facilitate recognition by T cells.

T Cells

A type of adaptive immune cell that can be categorized into helper T cells (CD4+) and cytotoxic T cells (CD8+), each having distinct functions in the immune response.

B Cells

Adaptive immune cells that primarily produce antibodies; they mature in the bone marrow.

Antibody

A soluble form of B cell receptor that identifies and neutralizes specific antigens.

Cytokines

chemical signal released to help communicate with other cells

Chemokines

A subset of cytokines that induce chemotaxis in nearby cells, guiding them to the site of infection.

Inflammation

The body's response to injury or infection, characterized by redness, heat, swelling, and pain, which helps to recruit immune cells to the site.

Extravasation

crossing of blood vessel into tissue

Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs)

Molecules on immune cells that recognize common structures on pathogens, aiding in the distinction between self and non-self.

Memory in Adaptive Immunity

The ability of the adaptive immune system to respond more rapidly and effectively to previously encountered pathogens.

Agglutination

The clumping together of pathogens caused by antibodies, enhancing their clearance by immune cells.

Neutralization

The process by which antibodies bind and inactivate toxins or pathogens, preventing them from causing harm.