Immunology Flashcards
6 cards from real Biology Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Immunology flashcards as text
What is the difference between innate and adaptive immunity?
Answer: Innate is non-specific and immediate; adaptive is specific and develops over time
Innate immunity provides immediate, non-specific defense (skin barriers, phagocytes, inflammation), while adaptive immunity develops targeted responses to specific pathogens through antibodies and memory cells.
Which type of white blood cell produces antibodies?
Answer: B lymphocytes (B cells)
B cells differentiate into plasma cells that produce antibodies (immunoglobulins) specific to particular antigens, providing humoral immunity.
What is the function of helper T cells?
Answer: To coordinate the immune response by activating other immune cells
Helper T cells (CD4+) play a central coordinating role by releasing cytokines that activate B cells, cytotoxic T cells, and macrophages, orchestrating the adaptive immune response.
What is an antigen?
Answer: A molecule that triggers an immune response
An antigen is any molecule (usually a protein on the surface of a pathogen) that can be recognized by the immune system and trigger an immune response, including antibody production.
How do vaccines work?
Answer: By exposing the immune system to weakened or inactive pathogens to build memory
Vaccines introduce harmless forms of a pathogen (weakened, killed, or parts of it), stimulating the adaptive immune system to produce memory cells that provide rapid protection upon future exposure.
What is autoimmunity?
Answer: When the immune system attacks the body's own tissues
Autoimmunity occurs when the immune system fails to distinguish self from non-self and mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy cells and tissues, leading to autoimmune diseases.