Organs & Tissues of the Immune System
Name the organ where T cells mature
Thymus
Give two examples of physical barriers that prevent pathogens from entering the body.
intact skin, mucous membranes, tears, saliva, stomach acid
Name one type of white blood cell that acts quickly as part of the innate immune response
neutrophils, natural killer cells, mast cells, macrophages, eosinophils and basophils
Which adaptive immune cell produces antibodies?
B Cells
Identify the organ that filters blood and removes old red blood cells and pathogens
The Spleen
What chemical in tears and saliva breaks down bacterial cell walls?
Lysozyme
What is inflammation? Give one sign of inflammation
your body's natural immune response to protect itself against harmful stimuli, such as injuries, infections, toxins, or irritants and redness, heat, swelling, pain
What is an antigen?
any substance the immune system recognize as foreign or harmful
What tissue type contains Peyer’s patches and plays a role in gut immune responses?
Lymphatic Tissue
How does skin acidity (pH) help defend against microbes?
stops pathogen growth
Define "phagocytosis."
a process where cells engulf microorganisms
Contrast the roles of helper T cells and cytotoxic T cells.
Helper T cells coordinate the immune response by signaling other cells, while cytotoxic T cells directly destroy infected or cancerous cells
Which primary lymphoid organ produces most blood cells (including immune cells) throughout life?
The Bone Marrow
Explain how mucous and cilia work together in the respiratory tract to prevent infection
helps to trap pathogens/germs and get them out of the respiratory system
What are pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and what do they detect?
germline-encoded host immune sensors that detect danger signals and trigger innate immune responses
Define "memory cells" and explain their importance for faster responses on second exposure to a pathogen
Memory cells are long-lived, antigen-specific white blood cells (specifically B and T lymphocytes) that remain in the body after an initial infection or vaccination to "remember" a specific pathogen
Describe the role of lymph nodes during an infection.
Traps pathogens and launch targeted defenses
Why is the microbiome on skin and in the gut considered part of the first line of defense?
block space, produce chemical defenses and help train the immune system
Explain the role of complement proteins in the innate immune response.
It acts as a rapid, first-line defense in the innate immune response to neutralize and clear invaders
Explain how vaccination uses adaptive immunity to protect against disease.
Vaccination uses artificial active immunity to train the body's adaptive immune system to recognize and destroy dangerous pathogens without causing the actual illness