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immune system

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internal defense system consisting of organic molecules and cells that protect the body by altering physiology and destroying pathogens; innate and adaptive divisions

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pathogen

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foreign, disease-causing agent; may be viral, bacterial, protozoan, parasitic, toxins, etc

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antigen

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any macromolecule or portion that is recognized by the immune system as being foreign and pathogenic; triggers immune response; often specific to strains of pathogenic virus, bacterium...etc

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immunity

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being "safe" from a particular pathogen; responds to and removes a pathogen before disease

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innate immune system

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division of the immune system; provides immediate and generalized defense against pathogens all animals possess some type of this system - includes body covering, phagocytosis, inflammation, antimicrobial peptides, complement system

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adaptive immune system

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division of the immune system; provides highly specific defense adjacent particular macromolecules present in particular pathogens referred to as antigens sometimes called acquired immune system - new immunities gained over time; only possessed by vertebrates

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phagocytosis

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process of immune cell engulfing any enzymatically breaking down another cell or foreign macromolecule

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phagocyte

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general term for immune cells that phagocytoses pathogens macrophages and neutrophils - primary vertebrate phagocytes

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cytotoxic cell

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cell that destroys target cells with cytotoxic peptides (molecules that cause cells to lyse - digest itself) includes natural killer cells and T cells

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inflammation

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physiological change in tissues; inhibits growth and division of some pathogens, recruits immune cells, promotes immune cell activity local cellular response to pathogens - may become systematic (fever)

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inflammation

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secretion of cytokines that attract and activate phagocytes - causes vasodilation of surrounding arterioles increasing blood flow and temp raised temperature; redness; edema (swelling); pain

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PRR

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pattern recognition receptors; plasma membrane receptors found on immune cells; recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns immune cells become active and produce inflammation in surrounding tissue by secreting cytokines and/or start phagocytosing recognized pathogens

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PAMPs

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pathogen-associated molecular patterns; macromolecules or portions that are specific to large groups of pathogens; allow immune cells to recognize forgetn agents antigens are highly specific, these are generic

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self-antigen

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plasma membrane molecule that identifies a cell as belonging to the body, often glycoproteins; encoded by MHC genes are self-antigens

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antimicrobial peptides

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diverse set of short polypeptides produced by immune cells that attack and inactivate or kill pathogens generic defenses used by all domains of life

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complement

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plasma proteins that complement the actions of the innate and adaptive immune system divisions; PAMPs, antigens, antigen-antibody activated once activated: lyse cells; coat pathogens; attract leukocytes; stimulate inflammation

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innate immune response cells

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involved in both immune responses if T cells, B cells, or antibodies are mentioned

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epithelial cells

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of innate immune system; if infected, can form antigen-MHC I complexes to act as APCs or be flagged for destruction by ctotoxic cells release cytokines to promote inflammation and chemotaxis; release antimicrobial peptides

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mast cells

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of innate immune system; non-circulating basophils; use TL receptors and Ige antibodies to detect PAMPs and antigens activation releases histamines that produce local inflammation

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neutrophils

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of innate immune system; have TL receptors to detect PAMPs and phagocytose pathogens; release cytokines for inflammation and chemotaxis

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macrophages

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of innate immune system; agranular leukocytes; one kind of mature monocytes; similar to neutrophils response to pathogens; wandering phagocytes

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dendritic cells

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of innate immune system; agranular leukocutes; one kind of mature monocytes; do not wander, stay put until encounter a pathogen and become and APC

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natural killer NK cells

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of innate immune system; cytotoxic lymphocytes; have receptors that recognize altered cells; have antibody receptors to detect antibody marked pathogens or infected cells

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cytokines

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hormones of immune system; produced by immune cells to communicate with or activate other immune cells; used to regulate body physiology used by non-immune cells to communicate with immune cells;

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interferons

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of cytokines; produced by macrophages, primarily used to stimulate phagocytosis and cytotoxic destruction of body cells type I inhibit viral replication in infected cells, activate NK cells type II stimulate macrophages to phagocytose tumor cels and infected cells

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interleukins

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of cytokines; produced by macrophages and lymphocytes; facilitate interactions between leukocytes stimulates inflammation and fever

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tumor necrosis factor

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of cytokines; produced by macrophages and T cells to increase inflammation; can produce fever if concentration is high

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chemokines

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of cytokines; primarily cause chemotaxis; attract leukocytes to infected tissues

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adaptive immune response cells

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T and B lymphocytes are primary cells responsible for cell-mediated and antibody-mediated response; adapts its defenses to pathogens over time through a process of selection and retention of most successful defenses

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APC

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of adaptive immune system; antigen-presenting cells; any cell that has phagocytosed or become infected with pathogen, incorporating a portion of pathogen with its self-antigen; macrophages and dendritic are "professional"

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T cells

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of adaptive immune system; lymphocytes originating from stem cells in bone marrow, divide and mature in thymus detect antigen-self-antigen complexes presented by APCs using receptors TCR; migrate to lymph nodes and wait for APCs

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TCR

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of adaptive immune system; T cell receptors; have highly variable domain; variation allows for TCR-antigen specificity

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helper T cells

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of adaptive immune system; have surface protein CD4; activated by TCR binding with antigen-self-antigen complex activated - expand clonally and can further activate T and B cells; highest affinity TCRs will be favored with interleukin survival signals to become memory T cells

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cytotoxic T cells

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of adaptive immune system; have surface protein CD8; activated by TCR binding with antigen-self-antigen complex activated - expand clonally and migrate to site of infection; require leukins from helper T cells to start destroying infected cells; highest affinity TCRs will be favored

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memory T cells

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of adaptive immune system; T cells with effective TCRs; receive interleukin survival signals develop; quick to activate - become cytotoxic T cells upon secondary infection by a pathogen with the recognized antigen

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B cells

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of adaptive immune system; lymphocytes originated, divided and matured in bone marrow; migrate to lymph nodes detect antigen-self-antigen complexes presented by APCs using BCR; require interleukins from activated helper T cells in order to mature to plasma cells

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antibody

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of adaptive immune system; four peptide macromolecule; consists of 2 heavy chains and 2 light chains shaped like a Y; bind to assigns disabling pathogens or marking pathogens for phagocytosis or cytotoxic death

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V(D)J recombination

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of antibody; gene for heavy chain has section called variable domain with 3 regions involved in recombination to create antibody diversity

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variable domain point mutation

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of antibody; activated B cells clonally expand, each daughter clone produces a slightly different antibody with different affinity for the antigen

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IgA

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of antibody; isotype found in mucosa and breast milk

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IgD

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of antibody; isotype found as a BCR

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IgE

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of antibody; isotype produces in response to parasites and allergens; can attach to mast cells to use as allergen receptors

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IgG

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of antibody; isotype produced during secondary infection by antigen producing pathogen; can pass from mother to fetus through placenta and protect fetus during gestation

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IgM

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of antibody; isotype found as BCR and released into blood during primary pathogen infection

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isotype switching

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of antibody; plasma cell producing a certain antibody can be induced to switch production from one to another; has same variable region but different constant region changes function without changing antigen specificity

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active immunity

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immunity to a pathogen with a certain antigen due to possession of memory T and B cells that produce antigen-specific TCRs and antibodies; last years

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passive immunity

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immunity to a pathogen with a certain antigen due to acquired antibodies

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