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Immune System definitions Flashcards

Immune System definitions
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  • Pathogens

    Disease-causing microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and single-celled eukaryotes, that invade hosts and trigger immune responses.

  • Bacteria

    Single-celled prokaryotic organisms that can be found in various environments, some of which can cause diseases in humans and other organisms.

  • Viruses

    Microscopic infectious agents that replicate only inside living cells, causing diseases by hijacking host cellular machinery. They lack cellular structure and cannot survive independently.

  • Immune System

    A complex defense network in animals, composed of various cells and tissues, that protects against pathogens through innate and adaptive responses, including phagocytosis, cytokine release, and antigen presentation.

  • Innate Immunity

    The body's first line of defense against pathogens, providing rapid, nonspecific responses through mechanisms like phagocytosis and cytokine release, without conferring long-term immunity.

  • Phagocytosis

    The process by which immune cells engulf and digest pathogens or debris, using receptor-ligand interactions to recognize and internalize the target.

  • Cytokines

    Signaling molecules that recruit and activate immune cells to the site of infection, enhancing the immune response.

  • Antigen Presentation

    The process where immune cells display pathogen fragments on their surface to activate specific immune responses by other cells.

  • Antibodies

    Proteins produced by B cells that specifically bind to antigens, neutralizing pathogens or marking them for destruction by other immune cells.

  • Leukocytes

    Cells of the immune system that defend against pathogens through processes like phagocytosis, antigen presentation, and cytokine release. They include granulocytes and agranulocytes.

  • Granulocytes

    White blood cells with granules in their cytoplasm, involved in innate immunity, including neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils, which perform functions like phagocytosis and releasing signaling molecules.

  • Agranulocytes

    White blood cells lacking granules in their cytoplasm, including lymphocytes and monocytes, crucial for adaptive immunity and phagocytosis.

  • Lymphocytes

    Immune cells that include T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells, crucial for adaptive immunity, recognizing and responding to specific pathogens, and producing antibodies.