Immunity ( subset of Virus deck)

pathogen

any agent that causes disease

which is NOT a pathogen: virus, bacteria, chemical byproduct, fungi, invertebrate, protist

chemical byproduct

what are some examples of pathogens

fungi invertebrate virus bacteria protist etc etc

What are examples of nonspecific defenses

skin hair mucus cilia earwax tears sweat and stomach acid

what are the inflammatory responses + are these specific or non

generally nonspecific

This next part is specific defenses. this flashcard will have multiple parts coming up, each on a separate card + one final for comprehension

When WBCs are destroyed, it is a big deal, right? Well, think of it like smoke billowing into a smoke detector. It is bound to set off the alarm! Move on to the next flashcard

What is the alarm-like chemical released when WBCs are released?

Histamine!

Ok, so we’ve got an alarm. Uh oh. All of the sudden, all the lights begin flashing brightly, marking where the smoke is and signaling sprinklers. Soon, those markers and sprinklers will fight the threat. Move on to the next card

What do helper t-cells do? ( think the flashing lights after the alarm!)

trigger a 2 way attack.

Now, we’ve got these little defenses coming for the smoke. One is a light, and one is sprinklers. All that the light does is produce a flash that tells someone where to fight the smoke, but the sprinklers will DESTROY the smoke and flame by pouring itself onto the threat. Move onto next card

What are B-Cells? ( think flashing light on a fire/smoke alarm)

produce antibodies, which mark the threat and pathogen for destruction

what are the killer t-cells? ( think sprinkler in a fire or smokey situation)

fight the threat or pathogen directly. they can make 1000s of themselves for backup.

yay good job now we will continue regular flashcards

what are allergies essentially

overreactions of the immune system. we take antihistamines

what is kind of concerning with antihistamines

it blocks histamine from reacting to a non-threatening pathogen, but that also means that potential threats can get in scott-free without any notice to the body in advance.

where are b cells formed

bone marrow

what tells B-cells to stop producing antibodies + why is that important

supressor cells! this is crucial because otherwise, we would basically self-destruct ourself, thinking everything needs marked for destruction and is a bad pathogen.

why are memory cells SO important

they are WBCs that can stay in the body and recognize a pathogen if it strikes again