immune response

• What are the two types of immune response in the body?

  Non-specific and specific
• How does the non-specific immune response differ from the specific immune response?

  The non-specific response is the same regardless of the pathogen, while the specific response targets a particular pathogen
• What role do antigens play in the immune system?

  Antigens act as ID tags that help the immune system recognize specific pathogens
• What are antigens made of?

  Proteins or glycoproteins
• Why does the immune system recognize pathogens as non-self?

  Pathogens have non-self antigens that the immune system identifies
• What initiates the non-specific immune response when a pathogen invades tissue?

  The invasion of the pathogen itself
• What are the components of the non-specific immune response?

  • Inflammation
  • Interferons
  • Phagocytosis
• What is inflammation?

  It is the swelling, warmth, and pain in the area surrounding a wound
• What do mast cells secrete in response to tissue damage?

  Mast cells secrete histamine
• What is the role of histamine in the immune response?

  Histamine enables cell signaling and stimulates responses like vasodilation
• What effect does vasodilation have on blood flow?

  It increases blood flow through capillaries
• How do capillary walls change during inflammation?

  They become more permeable, allowing fluid to enter tissues
• What happens to plasma proteins during inflammation?

  Some plasma proteins leave the blood when capillaries become more permeable
• What is the function of phagocytes in the immune response?

  Phagocytes engulf and digest foreign particles and dead cells
• What is the process of engulfing and digesting pathogens called?

  Phagocytosis
• How do phagocytes move to the site of infection?

  They travel throughout the body and can leave the blood by squeezing through capillary walls
• What attracts phagocytes to the site of infection?

  Chemicals released by pathogens and damaged body cells
• What happens during endocytosis in phagocytosis?

  The phagocyte's membrane extends around the pathogen, engulfing it
• What occurs when lysosomes fuse with the phagocytic vacuole?

  Digestive enzymes are released to digest the pathogen
• What is an antigen presenting cell?

  A phagocyte that presents the antigens of a pathogen on its surface
• What initiates the specific immune response?

  The presentation of antigens by antigen presenting cells
• What are the anti-viral proteins produced by cells infected by viruses called?

  Interferons
• How do interferons help in the defense against viruses?

  They prevent viruses from spreading to uninfected cells
• What is one way interferons inhibit viral activity?

  They inhibit the production of viral proteins
• What effect do interferons have on viral replication?

  They prevent the virus from replicating
• How do interferons activate the immune response?

  They activate white blood cells involved with the specific immune response
• What is the role of white blood cells activated by interferons?

  To destroy infected cells
• In addition to activating specific immune responses, what else do interferons do?

  They increase the non-specific immune response
• What is one example of how interferons promote the non-specific immune response?

  By promoting inflammation