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What function do macrophages serve?
- Very versatile - 12 to 15% of WBC's
- Phagocytic
- Can initiate the immune response.
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Which type of WBC's are phagocytic? What percentage of WBC's do they comprise?
- Neutrophils and macrophages (excluding eosinophils).
- 75% of all WBC's.
- Therefore it must be an efficient form of defense.
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If phagocytosis is so effective, why do our body's need specialized immune cells (an expensive process)?
- 1.) Phagocytosis is a slow process and therefore has a max limit
- 2.) Macs' & neuts' have other responsibilities (cellular debris)
- 3.) Neuts's have a life span of about one day
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True or False?
Compared to other forms of defense, the immune response is energy expensive.
True.
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What percentage of WBC's do immune cells comprise?
About 20%.
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What are the two ways an invading organism can enter our body?
- 1.) Through a breach in the skin
- 2.) Across a mucous membrane
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Once inside your body, what two systems provide widespread transportation?
- 1.) Vascular system
- 2.) Lymphatic system
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In what order does the body act against invading microbes?
- 1.) Innate defenses
- 2.) Complete phagocytosis
- 3.) Immune response
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List the 9 various innate defenses covered in class.
- 1.) Skin (barrier)
- 2.) Mucous membranes (barrier)
- 3.) Sweat (antimicrobial)
- 4.) Saliva (antimicrobial)
- 5.) pH of stomach
- 6.) pH of blood
- 7.) Normal flora of intestines
- 8.) Electrolyte levels in blood
- 9.) Protease enzymes and inhibitors
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In regards to innate defenses, which exist in the blood chemistry?
- 1.) pH
- 2.) protease enzymes and inhibitors
- 3.) electrolyte balance
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Briefly describe function of proteases and their inhibitors.
- Proteases break down dead cells and invading microbes.
- Their inhibitors keep them from destroying healthy body cells, but not microbes.
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What are the 3 types of immune cells?
- 1.) T-cells
- 2.) B-cells
- 3.) NK cells
(macrophages and eosinophils are in gray area).
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If innate defenses fail to eliminate an invading organism, what is our next response?
Phagocytosis by neutrophils and macrophages (back-up to neuts').
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What is the significant goal of phagocytic cells?
To completely eliminate the invader (not to limit proliferation).
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True or False?
Phagocytosis is a fairly specific process.
False.
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How does a neutrophil recognize an invading microbe?
Its surface is covered in many different types of receptors that recognize complimentary structures on microbes/debris/dead cells.
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If phagocytosis fails, __________ or _________ cells initiate an immune response.
- 1.) Macrophages
- 2.) Dendritic cells
(also, some B-cells can intiate a response as well).
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"What" makes the decision that the innate defenses and phagocytosis have failed?
- The immune monitoring system.
- It monitors # and kind of invaders present and WBC's available.
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Where is the IMS located?
- No one knows for sure.
- Perhaps the hypothalamus?
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Once the IMS has determined that all initial defenses have failed, what is the invading microbe now classified as?
An immunogen / antigen.
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Define immunogen / antigen.
"Anything (cell or molecule) that can initiate an immune response in an immunologically competant individual."
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What are some examples of immunological incompetency?
- 1.) HIV/AIDS patients
- 2.) Cancer patients
- 3.) Transplant recipients
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True or False?
Every human being is immunologically incompetent relative to some type or family of immunogen.
- True.
- - A genetically determined condition.
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What type of cells comprise the category of dendritic cells?
Specialized cells of the spleen, lymph nodes, and MALT.
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True or False?
Unmodifed phagocytosis results in the complete (100%) elimination of a type of invader.
True.
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What system is responsible for recognizing that complete elimination of an invading microbe cannot be accomplished by phagocytosis?
The Immune Monitoring System.
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When an immune response is needed, to what cells does the IMS send a signal?
- 1.) Macrophages
- 2.) Dendritic cells
- 3.) B-cells?
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What message do the macrophages and dendritic cells receive from the IMS?
To modify the phagocytosis process and save tiny pieces of any immunogen they come into contact with.
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What from the immunogen will the macrophages and dendritic cells save?
A piece of genetically controlled protein or glycoprotein from the surface of the microbe or molecule --> an IDP.
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What does IDP stand for?
Immuno-dominant peptide.
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True or False?
An IDP is another term for an epitope?
- False.
- A single IDP may contain multiple epitopes.
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How many monomers make up an IDP? An epitope?
- 1.) An IDP is made up of 20-30 amino acids or simple sugars
- 2.) An epitope is made up of 3-8 amino acids or simple sugars
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What is the significance/function of our body's recognition of epitopes?
It is our body's way of determining the difference between "self" and "foreign."
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