Term
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Definition
| A protein, lipid or carbohydrate that is recognized and reacted to by the immune system ("antibody generator" and T-cell activator). |
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Term
| What are the Cellular and Humoral components of the two "arms" of the active immune system? |
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Definition
1) Innate- neutrophils etc. (cellular) and cytokines (humoral)
2) Adaptive- T cell-mediated cell to cell contact (cellular) and Antibody (humoral) |
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Term
| What are the primary differences between the innate and adaptive immune systems? |
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Definition
1) Innate is fast and non-specific, while Adaptive is slow and specific.
2) Innate relies on pre-existing cells, receptors and molecules while adaptive involves antibody production (B cells) and helper and killers (T-Cells). |
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Term
| What is an example of "artificially acquired passive immunity"? |
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Definition
| Transfer of serum from an immune person |
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Term
| What does "cross-reactivity" mean in the context of vaccination? |
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Definition
| A good example is small-pox, where cow-pox and small-pox are immunologically similar, but not identical. The cow-pox injection generates an immune response that is protective against the small-pox. |
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Term
| Differentiate between active and passive immunity |
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Definition
1) A person is actively immune if he/she made their own protective immune response to antigen
2) Passive immunity can be conferred to a naïve individual by injecting serum (antibodies) or T cells from an immune individual.
Another example of passive immunity is the fact that antibodies are passed from mother to child in utero. |
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Term
| Differentiate between Affinity and Avidity |
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Definition
1) Affinity is the property of one combining site H + L, or α + β, BCR or TCR.
2) Avidity is the product of multiple combining sites in close proximity, since there are at least two H+L per IgG molecule, or many α + β TCRs on surface of lymphocyte |
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Term
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Definition
Protein composed of heavy and light chains that can bind to a specific antigen.
All antibodies have the same overall structure and are known collectively as immunoglobulins or Ig.
Also known as receptor for antigen on B-cell or BCR. May be membrane bound or secreted, based on pre-mRNA processing |
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Term
| What is the difference between an Antigen and an Immunogen? |
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Definition
| Only antigens can independently elicit antibody production. |
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Term
| What is the difference between an Antigen and an Immunogen? |
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Definition
| Only antigens can independently elicit antibody production. |
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Term
| What is a "complementarity determining region"? |
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Definition
| CDRs are hyper-variable (hv) in AA sequence and are located at region where antigen and BCR or TCR interact with antigen. |
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Term
| Which complement molecule is common to all pathways in both the innate and adaptive arms of the active immune system? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which cells are the primary producers of cytokines? |
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Definition
| Macrophages, NK cells and T-lymphocytes |
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Term
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Definition
| Site on immunogen/antigen that is recognized by Ab (may be continuous or discontinuous on antigen and is approximately 5 AA long) |
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Term
| What is Hapten? Provide an example. |
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Definition
Small molecule that cannot, by itself, elicit an immune response, but can react with an Ab at the antigen combining site (they become immunogenic when linked to a "carrier," which is generally a larger protein).
Example is Penicillin |
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Term
| What is the J-chain and the J-segment? |
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Definition
1) J-chain is part of IgM and IgA secreted molecule
2) J-segment is piece of DNA where somatic rearrangement of BCR or TCR can occur. |
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Term
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Definition
| Proteins that can bind sugars |
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Term
| What does it mean for "somatic rearrangement" to occur in a J-segment? |
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Definition
| DNA joining of segments V to J or V to D to J, that is unique to lymphocytes (somatic cells, i.e. not germline) and that generates unique antigen receptor sequences in the V region of the antibody molecule or TCR. |
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Term
| What does it mean for "somatic rearrangement" to occur in a J-segment? |
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Definition
| DNA joining of segments V to J or V to D to J, that is unique to lymphocytes (somatic cells, i.e. not germline) and that generates unique antigen receptor sequences in the V region of the antibody molecule or TCR. |
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Term
| What are Toll-like receptors? |
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Definition
| Specific receptors that recognize PAMPS (i.e. TLR4 for LPS) or DAMPs |
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Term
| How do V gene segments differ from rearranged "V regions"? |
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Definition
| V genes possess a shorter V-gene segment and lacks J or D:J found in "V-region". |
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