The Cellular Army
Neutrophils and monocytes are the two primary white blood cell types responsible for this destructive cellular process
What is phagocytosis?
This system of about 20 liver-produced proteins enhances the actions of antibodies and phagocytic cells.
What is the complement system?
Complement factor C3b performs this function by causing phagocytes to more easily engulf the invading particle.
What is opsonization?
The general name for cells like macrophages, dendritic cells, and B cells, which engulf antigens and present fragments to T cells.
Antigen Presenting Cells
This type of hypersensitivity is mediated by IgE, results in rapid onset, and is responsible for allergic reactions and anaphylaxis.
What is Type I Hypersensitivity?
These three leukocytes are categorized as granulocytes
What are neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils?
The two functional systems that make up the adaptive immune system response.
What are cell-mediated response and humoral response?
The Classical Pathway relies on the presence of this prior adaptive immune action to begin its cascade.
What is an antigen-antibody complex?
Activated helper T cells enhance the function of B cells by interacting via CD40L and releasing this type of signaling protein.
What are cytokines?
The small, specific part of an antigen that is recognized by antibodies, B cells, or T cells.
What is an epitope?
This cell circulates in the blood for only 10 to 20 hours before leaving the bloodstream and swelling up to five times its size to become a macrophage.
What is a monocyte?
This physical barrier utilizes acid secretion in the stomach and microcidal molecules like lysozymes in the eye.
What is Chemical barrier protection?
The three known pathways that can activate the complement system cascade.
What are the Classical, MB-lectin (or Lectin), and Alternative pathways?
This long-lived cell type, produced after primary antigen exposure, is responsible for the rapid and high-affinity response seen upon re-exposure.
What is a Memory B cell?
This exogenous mechanism of autoimmunity is seen in Rheumatic Fever, where antibodies generated against a pathogen cross-react with a structurally similar host tissue.
What is antigenic mimicry?
This process, facilitated by chemicals such as complement products, prostaglandins, and bacterial toxins, dictates the direction of WBC movement toward the injury site.
What is chemotaxis?
The four sequential stages of defense involving phagocytes during an acute inflammatory response.
What are: 1) Tissue Macrophages (First line), 2) Neutrophil Invasion (Second line), 3) Second Macrophage Invasion (Third line), and 4) Increased Production of WBCs (Fourth line)?
The final complex formed by complement components C5b6789 that causes osmotic rupture and cell death.
What is the Membrane Attack Complex (MAC)?
The general process where cytokines signal the B cell to switch from producing IgM (in the primary response) to producing other classes like IgG, IgA, or IgE.
What is isotype switching (or class switch recombination)?
This is the clinical example of an autoimmune disorder where autoantibodies act as agonists (stimulators) by attacking the TSH receptor.
What is Graves Disease?
Macrophages are able to effectively digest pathogens because of this?
What are lysosomes containing lysozymes?
This molecular structure is found on the surface of Gram-negative bacteria and binds to TLR4 receptors on macrophages.
What is lipopolysaccharide (LPS)?
The two end products generated by complement activation that promote the inflammation response.
What are C3a and C5a? (i'm not going to get this specific on an exam)
The two steps that immature T cells undergo in the thymus, involving testing for recognition and self-reactivity.
What are Positive Selection (testing the ability to recognize/bind antigen) and Negative Selection (testing against self-antigens)?
The endogenous mechanism of autoimmunity where repeated destruction of self-cells exposes previously hidden cellular proteins to the immune system.
What is epitope spread?