What is the purpose of a control group in an experiment?
To serve as a baseline for comparison with the experimental group
What is a placebo, and how is it used in experiments?
A substance with no therapeutic effect, used as a control
Why is a larger sample size important in an experiment?
It increases the reliability and reduces variability of results.
What is the difference between passive and active immunity?
Passive immunity is acquired through antibodies from another source; active immunity is developed through exposure to an antigen.
How does the microbiome contribute to immune system development?
It trains the immune system to differentiate between harmful and harmless organisms
Name one of the five signs of inflammation.
Redness, heat, swelling, pain, or loss of function
What type of cell is primarily responsible for phagocytosis?
Macrophages
Explain the difference between a primary and a secondary immune response.
The primary response is slower and less robust; the secondary response is faster and stronger due to memory cells.
Explain the difference between direct and sandwich ELISA.
Direct ELISA detects antigens directly; sandwich ELISA captures antigens between two antibodies.
Name one function of neutrophils.
They ingest and destroy bacteria and debris.
What is the process of introducing a weakened or dead pathogen to stimulate immunity called
Vaccination
Which type of immunity is faster but nonspecific?
Innate immunity
What is the main purpose of an ELISA test?
To detect and measure antibodies, antigens, or proteins in a sample.
Link "loss of function" to its inflammatory mechanism.
Severe tissue damage or swelling inhibits normal function.
Compare live attenuated vaccines to inactivated vaccines.
Live attenuated vaccines use weakened pathogens; inactivated vaccines use killed pathogens
Which organ contains the largest number of microbiome organisms?
The gut
What type of cell produces antibodies?
B cells
Why is type O negative blood considered a universal donor?
It lacks A, B, and Rh antigens, avoiding immune reactions
What is variolation, and how does it differ from modern vaccination?
Variolation used live pathogens from smallpox lesions; vaccination uses weakened or inactivated pathogens.
Live attenuated vaccines use weakened pathogens; inactivated vaccines use killed pathogens
They are misfolded proteins with no genetic material
What are the main blood types in the ABO system?
A, B, AB, and O
What is the protein coat of a virus called?
Capsid
What type of data supports the conclusion that vaccines do not cause autism?
Large-scale epidemiological studies show no link.
Explain how helper T cells activate other immune cells.
Helper T cells release cytokines that stimulate B cells and cytotoxic T cells
What was the first disease eradicated by vaccination?
Smallpox.