Immunity — Unit 4 AOS 1 essentials
VCE Biology · Immune response · 7 flashcards, free to study.
Innate vs adaptive, MHC, memory cells, vaccine logic. Useful for SAC 'compare and contrast' questions.
- First line of defence — examples
- Skin, mucous membranes, stomach acid, lysozyme in tears.
- Difference between innate and adaptive immunity
- Innate: fast, non-specific, no memory. Adaptive: slower, antigen-specific, generates memory.
- Role of MHC class I vs II
- MHC I: on all nucleated cells, presents intracellular antigens to cytotoxic T cells. MHC II: on antigen-presenting cells, presents extracellular antigens to helper T cells.
- What do plasma cells do?
- Mass-produce antibodies specific to one antigen.
- Primary vs secondary immune response
- Primary: slow, low antibody titre. Secondary: faster, higher peak, due to memory cells.
- What is autoimmunity?
- Failure of self-tolerance — immune system attacks self antigens (e.g. T1 diabetes, MS).
- Active vs passive immunity
- Active: body makes its own antibodies (infection or vaccination). Passive: antibodies received externally (placenta, breastmilk, antivenom).