Defence Against Parasitic Attack

    Cards (15)

    • What are the two aspects of the immune response in mammals?

      The immune response has both non-specific and specific aspects.
    • What are the non-specific defenses in the immune response?
      • Physical barriers: Epithelial tissue- blocks entry.
      • Chemical secretions: Hydrolytic enzymes in tears, mucus saliva- destroy bacterial cell walls.
      • Low pH environments of secretions of stomach, vagina, sweat- denature cellular proteins of pathogens.
      • Inflammatory response- enhances blood flow and brings antimicrobial proteins.
      • Phagocytes- carry out Phagocytosis
    • What is the role of phagocytes in the immune response?
      Phagocytes carry out phagocytosis to kill parasites using powerful enzymes containing lysosomes. they do this by engulfing them and storing them inside a vacuole.
    • How do natural killer cells function in the immune response?
      They identify and attach to virus-infected cells, realising chemicals that lead to the cell death by inducing apoptosis.
    • What is immune surveillance?

      • White blood cells circulate monitoring tissues.
      • Damaged/invaded tissues release cytokines, Increasing blood flow resulting in the accumulation of specific white blood cells at the site of infection.
    • What is the function of lymphocytes in the immune response?

      Lymphocytes recognize parasite antigens and produce a clonal population.
    • What is the process of clonal selection in lymphocytes?

      1. Lymphocytes with all specific receptors
      2. Antigens bind to specific receptors on lymphocytes.
      3. Activated lymphocytes divide.
      4. Produce a clonal population with identical receptors.
    • What do B-lymphocytes produce?
      Antibodies
    • What is the significance of the variable region in antibodies?

      The variable region gives the antibody its specificity for binding antigens.
    • What happens when an antigen binds to an antibody?

      The antigen-antibody complex can inactivate the parasite, rendering susceptible to a phagoyte, or stimulate a response for cell lysis.
    • How do T-lymphocytes function in the immune response?
      Induce apoptosis in parasite-infected cells.
    • What is immunological memory?

      • Initial antigen exposure produces memory lymphocyte cells specific for that antigen.
      • Memory cells enhance secondary response to the same antigen.
      • Results in faster antibody production and higher concentration in blood.
    • What is the difference between primary and secondary immune responses?

      • Primary response: first exposure to antigen, slower antibody production.
      • Secondary response: subsequent exposure, faster and more concentrated antibody production.
    • What happens in the inflammatory response?

      Injured cells release signalling molecules. This results in the enhanced blood flow to the site, bringing antimicrobial proteins and phagocytes
    • What do antibodies possess?

      Antibodies possess regions where the amino acid sequence varies greatly between different antibodies.
    See similar decks