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Title: Immunity
Description: Covers some basic information on the Immune System - the function of T-cells and B-cells as well as stating definitions and key words as well as exemplar exam-question answers.

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The Immune System
 
Immunity:  the  means  to  which  the  body  protects  itself  from  infection  
 
Antigen:  A  foreign  molecule/glycoprotein  (usually  a  protein)  that  triggers  an  immune  
response  in  the  body
...
 
Epidermis  of  skin  is  dead  /  keratinised  so  pathogens  cannot  penetrate;  
mucus  in  respiratory  system  is  trapping  sticky  pathogens;  
cilia  move  fluid  /  mucus  removing  pathogens;  
tears  /  saliva  /  mucus  contain  lysozyme  breaking  down  bacterial  cell  wall;  
stomach  contains  hydrochloric  acid  which  destroys  bacteria;  
blood  clot  prevents  entry;  
fluid  nature  of  tears  wash  away  bacteria;  
vaginal  acid  destroys  bacteria;  
commensal  bacteria  on  skin  compete  with  pathogen;  
sebum  (fatty  acid)  inhibits  bacterial  growth;  
Describe  the  role  of  phagocytes  in  the  destruction  of  pathogens:  
o The  phagocyte  recognizes  the  foreign  antigen  
o The  cytoplasm  of  the  phagocyte  engulfs  the  pathogen,  moving  around  it  
o Pathogen  is  now  contained  in  a  phagocytic  vacuole    
o A  lysosome  fuses  with  the  phagocytic  vacuole  and  hydrolytic  digestive  enzymes  
(lysozymes)  are  released  and  break  down  the  pathogen
...
   
Response  of  T-­‐lymphocytes  (a  type  of  white  blood  cell)  to  a  foreign  antigen  (cell-­‐mediated  
immunity):    
o   Pathogens  invade  body  cells/taken  in  by  phagocytes  
o   The  phagocyte  places  antigens  from  the  pathogen  on  its  cell-­‐surface  membrane  
o   Receptors  on  a  specific  helper  T  cell  fit  exactly  onto  these  antigens  
o   This  attachment  activates  the  T  cell  to  divide  rapidly  by  mitosis  and  form  a  clone  of  
genetically  identical  cells  
o   The  cloned  T  cells  develop  into  memory  cells  (that  enable  a  rapid  response  to  future  
infections  by  the  same  pathogen),  activate  cytotoxic  T  cells,  stimulate  B  cells  to  
divide  (which  secrete  antibodies)  and  stimulate  phagocytes
...
 
 

Explain  the  role  of  B-­‐lymphocytes  and  T-­‐lymphocytes  in  the  defence  of  the  body  against  a  virus  infection
...
   
Antibody  structure:  
-­‐   Antibodies  are  proteins,  made  of  four  polypeptide  
chains  with  heavy  and  light  chains  
-­‐   Specificity  of  antibody  depends  on  its  variable  regions  
(which  form  the  antigen  binding  site)  
-­‐   Each  antibody  has  a  variable  region  with  a  unique  tertiary  
structure  (due  to  different  sequences  of  amino  acids)  that’s  
complementary  to  one  specific  antigen  
-­‐   All  antibodies  have  the  same  constant  regions  
 
Antibodies  lead  to  destruction  of  the  antigen;  they  do  not  destroy  the  
antigen  themselves
...
   
 

Antibodies  are  protein  molecules
...
 
Large  variety  of  
different  
Cellular  response:  The  T-­‐cells  and  other  immune  system  cells  e
...
 phagocytes  that  they  
molecules;  
interact  with  
range  of  shapes;  
Humoral  Response:  B-­‐cells,  clonal  selection  and  the  production  of  monoclonal   Tertiary  shape;  
antibodies     locks  onto  /  
  complements  
specific  antigen;  

Destruction  of  pathogen/cells  &  antibody  production:  
o Monoclonal  antibodies  bind  to  the  antigens  on  the  surface  of  a  pathogen  to  form  
lots  of  antibody-­‐antigen  complexes
...
 
 
Targeting  medication  to  specific-­‐cell  types  
•   Monoclonal  antibodies  specific  to  antigens  on  cancer  cells  are  given  to  a  patient  and  
attach  themselves  to  the  receptors  on  a  cancer  cell  
•   They  attach  to  the  surface  of  their  cancer  cells  and  block  the  chemical  signals  that  
stimulate  uncontrolled  growth
...
 
 
Pregnancy  Testing  
Placenta  produces  a  hormone  called  HCG  found  in  the  mother’s  urine  –  monoclonal  
antibodies  present  on  the  test  strip  are  linked  to  colored  particles  –  if  HCG  is  present  in  the  
urine  it  binds  to  these  antibodies  forming  a  HCG  antibody-­‐color  complex  moving  along  the  
strip  creating  a  colored  line
...
 
action  of  phagocytes;  
Interferon  production;  
body  temperature  increased;  
ref  to  B  or  T  lymphocytes;  
activated  by  non-­‐self-­‐antigen;  
either  clone  /  divide  by  mitosis;  
T  helper  cells  role;  
B  plasma  cells  produced;  
which  produces  antibodies;  
any  specific  effect  (e
...
 immobilise  /agglutinate  /  lysis  /coat  for  recognition  /  
neutralise  toxins);  
T  killer  /  cytotoxic  cell;  
perform  produced;  
memory  cell  produced;  
 

Clonal  Selection:  each  lymphocyte  has  immunoglobulin  receptors  specific  for  a  particular  
antigen  and  after  the  receptor  is  engaged,  plasma  cells  are  produced
...
   
Active  Immunity:  when  your  immune  system  makes  its  own  antibodies  after  being  
stimulated  by  an  antigen
...
   
Passive  Immunity:  immunity  by  being  given  antibodies  from  a  different  organism  –  your  
immune  system  doesn’t  produce  any  antibodies  of  its  own  
Natural  Passive  Immunity:  when  a  baby  becomes  immune  from  the  antibodies  it  
receives  from  it  mother  via  the  placenta/breast  milk
...
 
 

Vaccines  protect  people  against  disease
...
 (5)  
1
...
 From  dead  pathogens  /  weakened  pathogens;  
3
...
 On  second  exposure  memory  cells  produce  antibodies  /  become  active  /  recognise  pathogens;  
5
...
 Antibodies  destroy  pathogens;  
7
...
 Suggest  why  there  
might  be  problems  for  the  patient  when  using  these  vaccines
...
 
consider  vaccines  to  be  unsafe  /  have  side  effects  /  damage  immune  system;  
consider  natural  immunity  to  be  more  effective;  allow  in  (a)  if  not  here  
religious  /  ethical  objections  qualified  e
...
 objections  to  use  of  fetal  /  
animal  tissue;  
consider  low  risk  of  disease  when  high  percentage  of  population  already  
vaccinated/Ref
...
 
Killed  microorganism;  
modified  toxin;  
attenuated/heat  treated/UV  treated  microorganism;  
genetically  engineered  antigens;  
isolated  antigen  

 
Vaccines  protect  against  disease  by  stimulating  the  production  of  memory  cells
...
 
On  further  exposure  to  same  microorganism;  
Antigen  recognised;  
Faster  response;  
Greater  production  of  antibodies;  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
State  two  differences  between  a  specific  and  non-­‐specific  defence  mechanism  
Response  is  slow  for  specific  defence  mechanisms  whereas  it  is  immediate  for  non-­‐specific  defense  mechanisms
...
 
It  takes  a  few  days  for  the  lymphocytes  complementary  to  the  antigens  on  the  pathogen  to  divide  and  build  up  to  
the  level  where  it  can  be  effective  at  destroying  the  pathogen  –  hence  the  time  lag  between  the  exposure  to  the  
pathogen  and  the  body’s  defenses  at  bringing  it  under  control
...
 
Explain  why  the  secondary  immune  response  is  much  more  rapid  than  the  primary  response  
Contrast  the  cell-­‐mediated  response  to  the  humoral  response  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Non-­‐Specific  
Defences  

Mechanisms  that  don’t  distinguish  between  one  type  of  pathogen  
or  another  e
...
 skin  

Specific  Defences  

Mechanisms  that  do  distinguish  between  different  
pathogens  e
...
 lymphocytes  

Phagocytosis  

Pathogens  are  engulfed  into  vesicles  (called  phagosome)  
and  broken  down  by  enzymes  
Part  of  an  organism  that  is  recognised  as  non-­‐self  and  
triggers  an  immune  response  (usually  they  are  proteins)  
T  lymphocytes  recognise  antigen-­‐presenting  cells  that  
have  been  invaded  and  undergo  mitosis  to  respond  
Immunity  involving  B  cells  and  antibodies  

Antigens  
Cell-­‐mediated  
Immunity  
Humoral  
Immunity  
Antigenic  
Variability  
Antibodies  
Antigen-­‐Antibody  
Complex  
Complementary  
Shape  
Monoclonal  
Antibodies  
Passive  Immunity  
Active  Immunity  
Vaccination  
Herd  Immunity  

 

 

Viruses  such  as  flu  have  many  different  strains  with  
different  antigens  on  them  
Proteins  synthesised  by  B  cells,  consisting  of  heavy  and  
light  chains  and  variable  and  constant  regions  
Formed  when  antigens  bind  to  a  specific  site  on  the  
antibody  
Antigens  have  a  shape  that  means  they  fit  into  their  
specific  antibody  
Isolation  and  cloning  of  a  single  type  of  antibody  
The  introduction  of  antibodies  from  an  outside  source  
Stimulation  of  antibody  production  by  the  individual’s  
own  immune  system  
The  introduction  of  a  substance  into  the  body  with  the  
purpose  of  stimulating  active  immunity  against  a  
particular  disease  
Vaccinating  most  of  a  population  so  that  no-­‐one  has  the  
disease  and  transmission  is  stopped  


Title: Immunity
Description: Covers some basic information on the Immune System - the function of T-cells and B-cells as well as stating definitions and key words as well as exemplar exam-question answers.