Three types of Immunity ( “ICH”..

like an itch)
1. Innate
2. Cell-Mediated
3. Humoral

1. Innate: general, nonspecific immunity granted by:

• The skin: acts a barrier to invaders
• Lysozyme: an enzyme that kills some bacteria and is contained in blood, saliva,
and tears.
• The extreme acidity of the stomach which destroys many ingested pathogens
• Non-specific Macrophages
• the Complement System: 20 blood proteins which nonspecifically bind to
invaders, marking their destruction.

2. Cell Mediated: Immune response with the help of T cells:

• there are 2 types of T cells:
1. Helper T cells: ( cd4 cells) activate B cells, and Killer T cells, as well as other
cells of the immune system.
• lyphokines: protein mediators. Produced ( “kine”) by lymphocytes,
• interleukins: glycoproteins produced by leukocytes ( white blood cells)
2. Killer T cells ( CD8 Cells) destroys abnormal cells such as:
• Virus infected host cells
• Cancer Cells
• Foreign Cells ( reject foreign tissues)
The T in T-cell stands for Thymus: the site of T cell production in childhood.
Major Histocompatibility Complex ( MHC) cell surface proteins. 2 kinds:
i) MHC (class) 1: present on every cell. They randomly pick up peptides from within
the cell and display them on the surface.
ii) MHC (class) 2 : not present on every cell, rather, only present on antigen
presenting cells (APC’s); such as macrophages and B cells which chop up or
phagocytize foreign particles and display their fragments using MHC 2 display
system.

3. Humoral: Specific protection by antibodies (Ab) aka Immunoglobin ( Ig)

• Antibodies: specifically bind to invaders, marking their destruction and removal
from the body.
• Composed of two copies of both light chains and heavy chains which are
connected by sulfide bonds.
• The constant region is the same for every antibody, whereas the variable
region varies from antibody to antibody and accounts for their specificity.
* the designations: IgA, IgM, IgD…:
* Ig: Immunoglobin
* A, M, D etc: refers to the constant region’s structure
Name Location in the body Function

IgM blood and ß cell surface Initial immune response. Blood IgM
has a pentameric structure, on B
cell, has a monomeric structure.

IgG Blood * ( most Ig ) Ongoing immune response. The

majority of the antibody in the blood
is IgG, which can cross the
placental barrier

IgD ß cell surface Antigen receptor on B cell surfaces

alongside IgM

IgA secretions: saliva, mucus, tears, breast Has a dimeric structure, secreted in
milk, etc.) breast milk to help protect
newborns

IgE Blood Involved in allergic reactions

The variable region of a given antibody binds to an antigen (Ag) ( ex: viral capsid
proteins, bacteria surface proteins, and toxins within the bloodstream.
Remember: antibodies are soluble in plasma: therefore they can only bind to antigens
to which they have access ( not on the interior of a cell for
instance)
Epitope: the small section on an antigen that is recognized by
an antibody
Paratope: the small section on an antibody that recognizes
the antigen
B-Cells: a type of lymphocyte that makes antibodies:
- immature B cells are derived from stem cells in bone marrow
- Immature B cells express antibody molecules on their surface.
- When an antigen binds to the antibody on the surface of the immature B cell,
the cell is stimulated to proliferate and produce two kinds of cells:
• Plasma Cells: produce and secrete antibody protein into the plasma
• Memory Cells produced from the same clone and so have the same
variable regions, however, do NOT secrete antibody. Instead, they remain
dormant sometimes for years until the antigen is present again. Upon binding,
they become activated and start producing antibody quickly and prolifically
( clonal selection)
Primary Immune response: the first time a person encounters an antigen , which can
take a week or more to proliferate adequate antibody levels.
Secondary Immune Response: whereupon subsequent exposures, the immune
response is much faster and stronger due to memory cells.
Vaccination: used to improve the immune response by exposing the immune system
to an antigen associated with a virus or bacterium, thereby building up a secondary
response without the unpleasantness of a primary infection.

Tissues to Know:
• Bone Marrow: site of red and white blood cell production from a common
progenitor.
• Spleen: filters the blood and destroys RBC’s. Site of immune cell interaction.
• Thymus: the site of T cell maturation, especially in childhood. ( the thymus shrinks
in size in adults. )
• Tonsils/ Appendix: lymphatic tissues that “catch” pathogens on their way through.

*B and T cells must undergo regulation to eliminate self-reactive cells, which are killed
through apoptosis. If this process is unsuccessful, an autoimmune reaction occurs.