42: The Immune System
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- 42.1: Innate Immune Response - Innate Immune Response
- The immune system serves to defend against pathogens: microorganisms that attempt to invade and cause disease in a host.
- 42.2: Innate Immune Response - Physical and Chemical Barriers
- The innate immune response has physical and chemical barriers that exist as the first line of defense against infectious pathogens.
- 42.3: Innate Immune Response - Pathogen Recognition
- Upon pathogen entry to the body, the innate immune system uses several mechanisms to destroy the pathogen and any cells it has infected.
- 42.4: Innate Immune Response - Natural Killer Cells
- Natural killer cells are part of the innate immune response that recognize abnormal MHC I molecules on infected/tumor cells and kill them.
- 42.5: Innate Immune Response - The Complement System
- Around 20 soluble proteins comprise the complement system, which helps destroy extracellular microorganisms that have invaded the body.
- 42.6: Adaptive Immune Response - Antigen-presenting Cells- B and T cells
- B and T cells, parts of the adaptive immune response, contain receptors that can identify antigens derived from pathogens.
- 42.7: Adaptive Immune Response - Humoral Immune Response
- The humoral immune response defends against pathogens that are free in the blood by using antibodies against pathogen-specific antigens.
- 42.8: Adaptive Immune Response - Cell-Mediated Immunity
- Cell-mediated immunity involves cytotoxic T cells recognizing infected cells and bringing about their destruction.
- 42.9: Adaptive Immune Response - Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes and Mucosal Surfaces
- The lymphatic system houses large populations of immune cells which are released upon detection of a pathogen.
- 42.10: Adaptive Immune Response - Immunological Memory
- Immunological memory allows the adaptive immune system to very rapidly clear infections that it has encountered before.
- 42.11: Adaptive Immune Response - Regulating Immune Tolerance
- Immune tolerance of self and harmless antigens occurs by deleting B and T cells that recognize those antigens, often near mucosal surfaces.
- 42.12: Antibodies - Antibody Structure
- Variations in antibody structure allow great diversity of antigen recognition among different antibodies.
- 42.13: Antibodies - Antibody Functions
- Antibodies, part of the humoral immune response, are involved in pathogen detection and neutralization.
- 42.14: Disruptions in the Immune System - Immunodeficiency
- Immunodeficiency occurs when the immune system cannot appropriately respond to infections.
- 42.15: Disruptions in the Immune System - Hypersensitivities
- Hypersensitivities are maladaptive immune reactions against harmless antigens (allergies) or against self antigens (autoimmunity).