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Introduction To Immunity-2

The document provides an overview of the immune system, detailing the concepts of immunity, the types of immunity (innate and acquired), and the roles of various immune cells and organs. It explains the functions of innate and adaptive immunity, the differentiation of immune cells from stem cells, and the specific roles of neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, macrophages, and natural killer cells. Additionally, it describes the primary and secondary lymphoid organs involved in the immune response.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
41 views13 pages

Introduction To Immunity-2

The document provides an overview of the immune system, detailing the concepts of immunity, the types of immunity (innate and acquired), and the roles of various immune cells and organs. It explains the functions of innate and adaptive immunity, the differentiation of immune cells from stem cells, and the specific roles of neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, macrophages, and natural killer cells. Additionally, it describes the primary and secondary lymphoid organs involved in the immune response.

Uploaded by

nedhalmahmood19
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction to Immune

System
Immunity and Immune System
Immunity: It is the ability of the body to resist harmful
microbes.
The immune system: recognizes foreign bodies and
responds by the production of immune cells and proteins

- Immunity divided into


1- Non-specific (innate)
2- Specific (adaptive \ acquired) types
Innate and Acquired Immunity

• Innate immunity
– Is present before any exposure to pathogens and is
effective from the time of birth
– Involves nonspecific responses to pathogens
• Acquired immunity (also called adaptive immunity)
– Develops only after exposure to inducing agents
such as microbes, toxins, or other foreign substances
– Involves a very specific response to pathogens
Innate Adaptive
Time of action Responds immediately. Takes time to respond. during which
1st line of defense against antigen stimulates B and T cells leading
microbes to proliferation and differentiation of B
cells to plasma cells secreting antibodies
and reactive T cells
Specificity Non specific Specific: antibodies and reactive T cells
react only with specific epitopes
Memory No memory: the strength Memory developed: faster and stronger
of response doesn’t response with repeated exposure to the
increase with repeated same antigen
exposure to the same
antigen
Components - physical barrier - Humoral immunity: B lymphocytes
- chemical barriers - CMI: Th and Tc lymphocytes
- Proteins
- Normal flora
- Inflammation
- Fever
• The Lymphoid Organs
– They are the sites where lymphocytes develop, mature and Interact with other non-lymphoid
cells They are divided into:
• Primary lymphoid organs
• This is the site where lymphocytes complete their maturation.
– The bone marrow: where the B cells complete their maturation.
– The thymus gland: where the T cells complete their maturation.
• Secondary lymphoid organs
– They are the places where lymphocytes can meet antigens, leading to activation of the
lymphocytes.
– Include the spleen, lymph nodes and various mucosal associated lymphoid tissues (MALT).
• The lymph nodes
– B lymphocytes are localized in follicles
– T lymphocytes are more diffusely distributed in the Para cortical area.
• The spleen: The lymphocytes surround the arterioles entering the organ, forming the
white pulp. The inner part of this is called the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath,
containing mainly T cells and is surrounded by a B cell as corona.
• The Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) includes the tonsils, adenoids,
• Appendix and Peyer's patches and some lymphoid tissues in respiratory tract, other
mucosal sites contain similar collections.
Cells of the Immune system

– Origin: all cells of the immune system arise from pluripotent


hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)
– (HSCs) originate in the fetal life from liver and spleen and
from B.M in adult life
– (HSCs) are differentiated to 2 main stem cells
• Myeloid stem cells: give rise to
– Megakaryocytes: the mother cells of platelets
– Erythrocytes
– Phagocytic cells
» Neutrophils
» Monocytes (Macrophages)
» Dendritic cells
» Eosinophils
» Basophils
• Lymphoid stem cells: give rise to
– T cells
– B cells
– Natural Killer cells (NK)
– Dendritic cells
– Innate immunity depends mainly on the granulocytes
(neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils) and monocytes
– Acquired immunity depends mainly on the lymphocytes.
• However, there is a great interconnection between the cells
and functions of the innate and acquired immune systems.
Neutrophils
• are phagocytic cells
• they are short-lived 6–8 h
• They form 60-80% of total blood leucocytes.
• when there is an infection at a certain place, certain chemicals
(chemotactic factors) are released to attract neutrophils from
the blood to the site of infection.
• Pus is formed mainly of dead neutrophils.
Eosinophils
are mainly important in defense against:
1. helminthic parasite infection. They may kill such parasites by
releasing the toxic contents of their granules onto such
extracellular parasites.
2. allergic reactions, which are reactions that occur in some
people against harmless antigens present in the environment.
Eosinophils also have phagocytic properties.
Basophils are found in the blood in very low concentrations. Their function is probably similar to that
of mast cells.
Mast cells They play a very important role in allergic reactions. They possess granules containing a
number of important mediators such as histamine. Release of these mediators leads to the
manifestations of allergy and inflammation.
Monocytes Monocytes are present in the blood and continuously leave it to go to the tissues where
they complete their maturation and become macrophages. Examples are the Kuepfer cells of the liver
and the alveolar macrophages in the lung.
Functions of Macrophages
1. Phagocytosis
2. Antigen presentation: Macrophages help to 'show' or 'present' part of the foreign agents they have
eaten to T cells, so that the T cells can start responding to them. Thus, they are among a group of
cells called antigen presenting cells (APCs).
3. Secretion: They secrete chemical mediators called cytokines, e.g. interleukins.
4. Direct cytotoxicity: They may kill targets without engulfing them. Helminthic parasites which are
too large to be engulfed can be killed by macrophages releasing their toxic contents onto them.
Tumour cells can also be killed in a similar way.
Natural Killer cells (NK cells)
are large granular lymphocytes that can be distinguished from B
and T lymphocytes. They constitute 10-15% of peripheral blood
lymphocytes. They are capable of killing abnormal or infected
cells like cytotoxic T cells but differ from them in the way they
recognize their targets.
Mechanism of killing by NK cells :
1-Degranulation:
Release of perforins & granzymes inducing apoptosis (cell suicide)
2- Fas ligand- Fas pathway:
NK express Fas-L to interact with Fas (TNF R) on target cells inducing apoptosis
3- ADCC
N.B: IL-2 secreted by Th-1 promotes its differentiation into lymphokine-activated
killer (LAK)

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