Innate Immunity
This non-specific branch of immunity is always active, present from the moment of birth, even when an infection is not occurring
What is Innate Immunity?
This term refers to any molecule, including microbial proteins, viral structures, or even our own cells, that is capable of stimulating an immune response.
What is an Antigen?
B-cell effectors are referred to by this name, reflecting their function of secreting large quantities of antibodies into blood plasma and bodily fluids.
What are Plasma Cells?
This is the specific term for molecules added to the antigen component of a vaccine, particularly required for subunit vaccines, to boost their ability to provoke an immune response
What are Adjuvants?
Acquired disorders that lead to an over-reaction of the immune system to the presence of antigens, often categorized as hypersensitivity or autoimmunity.
What are Hypersensitivity/Autoimmunity?
This physiological barrier, an enzyme found in tears and vaginal secretions, destroys the material peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls
What is Lysozyme?
This is the initial stage (Stage 1) of the adaptive immune response, requiring innate cells like dendritic cells and macrophages to display non-self antigens on Class 2 receptors.
What is Antigen Presentation?
T-cytotoxic effectors kill infected cells by releasing perforins to punch holes in the membrane, and these destructive enzymes to enter and trigger controlled cell death.
What are Granzymes?
This type of vaccine uses intact microbes that have been killed during production, resulting in activation of humoral immunity but carrying a zero risk of vaccine reversion.
What are Inactivated Vaccines?
This specific condition is the term for a life-threatening, systemic allergic reaction (Type 1 hypersensitivity) where massive inflammation causes swelling and air passage spasm, potentially leading to shock.
What is Systemic Anaphylaxis (or Anaphylactic Shock)?
This vasoactive molecule is the primary and most important one released by basophils and mast cells, initiating inflammation by causing the widening of blood vessels known as vasodilation
What is Histamine?
T-helper cells are activated when their T-cell receptor recognizes the antigen and this specific protein binds to and recognizes MHC Class 2.
What is CD4?
This process, where activated lymphocytes undergo many repeated rounds of mitosis, is necessary because a single activated cell is insufficient to eliminate billions of pathogens.
What is Lymphocyte Proliferation?
This type of vaccine is considered the most effective because it uses live, non-pathogenic microbes that can reproduce, thereby stimulating both humoral and cellular immunity
What are Live Attenuated Vaccines?
This type of immunodeficiency is caused by acquired factors later in life, such as aging, stress (cortisol exposure), chronic disease (like diabetes), or immunosuppressive drugs.
What is Secondary Immunodeficiency (SI)?
These phagocytic cells are the first to arrive at an inflammatory site and kill microbes through either phagocytosis or degranulation, but they have a short lifespan of only 4-5 days
What are Neutrophils?
This core ability of the immune system ensures that lymphocytes are destroyed if they fail a two-step screening process designed to prevent reactions against self-antigens.
What is Self-tolerance?
This property is provided by long-lasting memory cells, allowing the adaptive system to generate a secondary response that activates almost immediately and produces larger amounts of antibodies than a primary response.
What is Immunological Memory?
This property refers to the compromise necessary in vaccine development, stating that the most effective options (like live attenuated) often carry the greatest risk of side effects, while the safest options (like subunit) are the least effective.
What is the Trade-off between vaccine safety and vaccine effectiveness?
In this Type 3 autoimmune disorder, the chronic overproduction of antibodies against collagen in joints forms large clumps called immune complexes, which trigger inflammation and eventual tissue damage.
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
This third and final phase of the innate immune response is directed primarily by activated macrophages and involves instructing the organ to repair and heal itself, potentially resulting in fibrosis if inflammation signals persist
What is Resolution?
B-cell activation is a two-step process: first, antigen binds, causing partial activation, which is then followed by the release of these immune signaling molecules from activated T-helper cells for full activation.
What are Cytokines?
These third-type lymphocytes operate using the "missing self" theory, killing target cells by apoptosis using perforins and granzymes if the cell is stressed and has stopped producing or displaying MHC Class 1.
What are Natural Killer (NK) Cells?
This type of acellular vaccine uses an mRNA molecule within a liposome, leading to the activation of T-cytotoxic, T-helper, and B-cells by allowing the body's cells to temporarily translate the microbial antigen.
What are mRNA Vaccines?
This is known as "delayed hypersensitivity" because its symptoms, driven by the hyperactivation of T-helper cells, only appear days after antigen exposure.
What Type 4 Hypersensitivity?