Basics of Immunology

This presentation was created by:Amelia FarberSadie Shelton

Amy SenestraroZack HartmanTanner Hebert

This publication was made possible by Grant # 024094 from NIAID. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Immune System• The immune system is designed to protect the

body from harmful diseases.• The immune system begins to develop in the

embryo and by the time the baby is born, it is a sophisticated collection of tissues that includes the blood, lymphatic system, thymus, spleen, skin, and mucosa.

The immune system responds to any antigen, whether is it harmless, like grass pollen, or harmful, such as a virus or bacterial infection.

Everyone’s immune system is different, and reacts differently to every antigen.

Immune System layout

I. Blood: a. plasma (the yellow liquid component of blood in

which blood cells are suspended) b. hematocrit (proportion of blood volume that is

occupied by red blood cells) i.Red Blood Cells ii. White Blood Cells a. monocytes b. granulocytes c. leukocytes ----> cytokines

activate immune

response cells: T cells - time *memory B cells - antibodies Natural Killer cells - nonspecific

Here are some immune system videos that might be helpful:•http://www.youtube

.com/watch?v=hQmaPwP0KRI•http://www.youtube

.com/watch?v=lrYlZJiuf18&feature=fvw•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys

_V6FcYD5I

There are many cells which are the workers of your immune system. They are all sorted based on their form and their function. These cells are also called lymphocytes- a type of white blood cell.

T Lymphocytes

T- lymphocytes Are different from B and NK cells because they have

a special receptor on their surface called a T cell receptor (TRC) which are designed to recognize antigen. When a TRC comes in contact with an antigen, the T cell matures and changes into one of five things: A Helper T cell – which divides rapidly and secretes tiny proteins (called

cytokines), that help in the immune response. A Cytotoxic T cell – which destroys virally infected cells and tumor cells A Memory T cell – which remain active after an immune response, and help

the body remember the specific antigen that attacked it. A Regulatory T cell – which is responsible for shutting down the T cell reaction

after an immune response is over. A Natural Killer T cell – which is responsible for recognizing different types of

antigens

B LymphocytesB-lymphocytes

Their primary role is to make antibodies to attack antigens. Once a B cell has come in contact with an antigen, it becomes a memory B cell, meaning it will remember that specific antigen if the body is every attacked by it again.

Flow Cytometry

• Flow Cytometry relates to immunology because it is the process of counting and measuring cells.

• Clinics and hospitals use Flow Cytometry to test their patients for HIV/AIDS, test for new vaccines, and many other medical needs. The AIDS virus

Flow Cytometry diagram

Basic diagram of flow cytometryCells from a patient’s blood are injected, in a fluid stream, into the flow cytometer. As the cells pass the laser beam, the light refracts off the cells, causing a certain amount of forward and side scatter. By graphing and measuring the amount of scatter the cytometer reads, you can tell if the patient has a certain ailment or disease such as HIV/AIDS

Referenced Sites

http://www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/immunology/

http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/immunology/index.html 

http://www.kibook.net/cgd/news_stem_cells.html

http://biology.berkeley.edu/crl/flow_cytometry_basic.html

http://pleiad.umdnj.edu/~dweiss/immuno/immuno.html

http://www.astrographics.com/GalleryPrints/Display/GP2145.jpg

http://www.astrographics.com/GalleryPrintsIndex/GP2091.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_cell

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/B/B_and_Tcells.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_cell

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_blood_cell

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_cytometry

http://www.abcam.com/index.html?pageconfig=resource&rid=11446

http://www.wi.mit.edu/news/archives/2006/cpa_0403b.html