PATEROS CATHOLIC SCHOOL

F. Imson St., Pateros, Metro Manila

Accredited: PAASCU Level 2
STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
Module 5
A.Y. 2020 - 2021

General Biology- 02

Instructor/Facilitator Miss Kimberly Vargas

Appointment Period First Quarter – Week 1
Classroom Instruction Two Times a Week
Period Length 40 minutes per Classroom Period

Immune System

The response of vertebrates to microbial invasion was divided into specific and nonspecific forms
of defense. The response is more integrated and consisting of two parts: innate and adaptive
immunity. The key to the function of the immune system is the ability to distinguish self from non-
self cells, and the two branches of immunity do this in very different ways.

The immune system is designed to defend the body against foreign or dangerous invaders such
invaders include: microorganisms (commonly called germs, such as bacteria, viruses, and
fungi),parasites (such as worms)and transplanted organs and tissues. To defend the body against these
invaders, the immune system must be able to distinguish between what belongs in the body (self) and
what does not (non-self or foreign) and anything that is recognized as foreign substance must be
eliminated or destroyed.

Immune System - A complex network of organs containing cells that recognize foreign substances in the
body and destroy them.

TYPES OF IMMUNE SYSTEM:

1. Innate Immunity
- Innate immunity depends on recognition of conserved molecular patterns found in many
microorganisms. This is a type of immunity which is a nonspecific response to a broad
range of microbes formed by the skin and mucous membranes together with phagocytic cells
that ingest and destroy pathogens. Innate immunity encompasses anatomical and physiological
barriers, cellular internalization mechanisms, and inflammatory responses that are rapidly
induced by the presence of antigen. Innate immune mechanisms inhibit pathogen entry, prevent
the establishment of infection, and clear both host and microbial debris. Innate immunity
comprises the inborn immune mechanisms that do not depend upon previous exposure to an
antigen (vertebrates are born with it and does not require exposure to acquire the said
immunity).

PCS: MEN AND WOMEN OF NOBLE CHARACTER Page 1

 TWO LINE OF DEFENSE OF INNATE IMMUNITY:

• First line of defense

Physical Barriers

Skin - The skin not only defends the body by providing a nearly impenetrable barrier,
but also reinforces this defense with chemical on the surface. Oil and sweat glands give
the skin’s surface a pH of 3 to 5, which is acidic enough to inhibit the growth of many
pathogenic microorganisms. Sweat also contains the enzyme lysozyme, which digests
bacterial cell walls. Epithelial cells which are the main composition of the skin makes it
intact and contains antimicrobial peptides that inhibits the growth of microbes. The skin is
also home to many normal flora, nonpathogenic bacteria or fungi that are well
adapted to the skin conditions in different regions of the body. Pathogenic bacteria that
might attempt to colonize the skin generally are unable to compete with the normal flora.

Mucous Membrane - In addition to the skin, three other potential routes of entry by
microorganisms and viruses must be guarded: the digestive tract, the respiratory tract,
and the urogenital tract. Recall that each of these tracts opens to the external
environment. Each of these tracts is lined by epithelial cells, which are continuously
replaced, as are those of the skin. A layer of mucus, secreted by specialized cells scattered
between the epithelial cells, covers all these epithelial surfaces. Pathogens are frequently
trapped within this mucus layer and are eliminated by mechanisms specific to the
particular tract.

Chemicals - Sweat (secreted by sebaceous gland) is acidic (pH around 3.5) which kills
potential pathogenic microorganism. Sweat, Tears and Saliva also contain an enzyme
called lysozyme (enzyme that can degrade and destroy pathogen)

• Second line of defense

o Phagocytosis- Among the most important innate defenses are cells that can non-
specifically kill invading pathogens. These are a type of leukocyte, or white blood cell, that
circulates through the body and attacks pathogens within tissues. Three basic kinds of
defending leukocytes have been identified, and each kills invading microorganisms
differently.
Macrophages (“big eaters”) are large, irregularly shaped cells that kill microorganisms by
ingesting them through phagocytosis. Once within the macrophage, the membrane-bound
phagosome fuses with a lysosome. Fusion activates lysosomal enzymes that kill and digest
the microorganism. Additionally, large quantities of oxygen-containing free radicals are
frequently produced within the phagosome; these free radicals are very reactive and
degrade the pathogen.
Neutrophils are the most abundant circulating leukocytes, accounting for 50 to 70% of the
peripheral blood leukocytes. They are the first type of cell to appear at the site of tissue
damage or infection. Like macrophages, they squeeze between capillary endothelial cells to
enter infected tissues, where they ingest a variety of pathogens by phagocytosis. Their
mechanism of pathogen destruction is similar to that of macrophages except that they
produce an even greater range of reactive oxygen radicals.

PCS: MEN AND WOMEN OF NOBLE CHARACTER Page 2

 Natural killer (NK) cells do not attack invading microbes, instead they kill cells of the body
that have been infected with viruses. They kill not by phagocytosis, but rather by inducing
apoptosis (programmed cell death) of the target cell. Proteins called perforins, released
from the NK cells, insert into the mem- brane of the target cell creating a pore in the
membrane.
o Inflammatory Response- The inflammatory response involves several systems of the
body, and it may be either localized or systemic. An acute response is one that generally
starts rapidly but lasts for only a relatively short while. Certain infected or injured cells
release chemical alarm signals—most notably histamine, along with prostaglandins and
bradykinin which often triggers a multitude of responses such as dilation of blood vessels
to allow more blood to flow in. Increased capillary permeability initially promotes the
migration of phagocytic neutrophils from the blood to the extracellular fluid bathing the
tissues, where the neutrophils can ingest and degrade pathogens; the pus associated with
some infections is a mixture of dead or dying pathogens, tissue cells, and neutrophils. This
inflammatory response is accompanied by an acute-phase response. One manifestation of
this response is an elevation of body temperature, or fever. The hypothalamus raises the
body’s temperature several degrees above the normal value of 37°C (98.6°F). This
increase in body temperature promotes the activity of phagocytic cells and impedes the
growth of some microorganisms.

2. Acquired Immunity
- A type of immunity which is a highly specific response developed only after exposure to
pathogens and cells by the recognition of lymphocytes. Acquired (adaptive) immunity is not
present at birth. It is learned. The learning process starts when a person’s immune system
encounters foreign invaders and recognizes non-self-substances (antigens). Then, the
components of acquired immunity learn the best way to attack each antigen and begin to
develop a memory for that antigen. Acquired immunity is also called specific immunity
because it tailors its attack to a specific antigen previously encountered. Acquired immunity
takes time to develop after first exposure to a new antigen. However afterward, the antigen
is remembered, and subsequent responses to that antigen are quicker and more effective
than those that occurred after the first exposure.

Antigen - is a molecule capable of inducing immune response (to produce antibodies).

TWO MAJOR CELLS IN ACQUIRED IMMUNITY:

Lymphocytes is a type of white blood cell that is of fundamental importance in the immune
system. It enables the body to remember antigens and to distinguish self from harmful non-self
(including viruses and bacteria). Lymphocytes circulate in the bloodstream and lymphatic system
and move into tissues as needed. The immune system can remember every antigen encountered
because after an encounter, some lymphocytes develop into memory cells. When memory cells
encounter an antigen for the second time, they recognize it immediately and respond quickly and
specifically to that particular antigen. This specific immune response is the reason that people do
not contract chickenpox or measles more than once and that vaccination can prevent certain
disorders. Lymphocytes may be T cells or B cells. T cells and B cells work together to destroy
invaders.

PCS: MEN AND WOMEN OF NOBLE CHARACTER Page 3

 1. T cells develop from stem cells in the bone marrow that have travelled to an organ
called the thymus. There, they learn how to distinguish self from non-self antigens so
that they do not attack the body's own tissues. T cells can potentially recognize an
almost limitless number of different antigens. T cells require the help of another immune
cell, which breaks antigens into fragments (called antigen processing) and then presents
antigen from the infected or abnormal cell to the T cell. The T cell then multiplies and
specializes into different types of T cells. These types include:
A. Killer (cytotoxic) T cells attach to antigens on infected or abnormal cells. Killer T cells
then kill these cells by making holes with the use of perforins in their cell membrane.
B. Helper T cells help other immune cells. Some helper T cells help B cells produce antibodies
against foreign antigens. Others help activate killer T cells to kill infected or abnormal cells
or help activate macrophages, enabling them to ingest infected or abnormal cells more
efficiently.
C. Suppressor (regulatory) T cells produce substances that help end the immune response
or sometimes prevent certain harmful responses from occurring.

- When T cells initially encounter an antigen, most of them perform their designated function, but
some of them develop into memory cells, which remember the antigen and respond to it more
vigorously when they encounter it again.

2. B Cells are formed in the bone marrow. B cells have particular sites (receptors) on their
surface where antigens can attach. B cells can learn to recognize an almost limitless
number of different antigens. The main purpose of B cells is to produce antibodies, which
tag an antigen for attack or directly neutralize it. B cells can also present antigen to T cells,
which then become activated.
- B cell production is triggered by the presence of antigen.
- Some B cells remain in the lymphatic system and form as part of the memory B cells
- When a B cell encounters an antigen, it is stimulated to mature into a plasma cell or a
memory B cell. Plasma cells then release antibodies (also called immunoglobulins, or Ig).
- There are 5 classes of antibodies—IgM, IgG, IgA, IgE, and IgD.
(B cell >> PLASMA CELL >>> produce antibody)

Antibody or Immunoglobulins
- Y shaped protein produced by plasma cells that is used by immune system to neutralize
pathogens such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
- the antibody produced in response to antigen
- also known as “immunoglobulin”
- consist of “Y” shape orientation.

5 MAJOR CLASSES OF ANTIBODIES:

1. IgG is the major form of antibody in the blood plasma and in most tissues, making up
about 75% of plasma antibodies. It is the most common form of antibody produced in a
secondary immune response (any response triggered on a subsequent exposure to an

PCS: MEN AND WOMEN OF NOBLE CHARACTER Page 4

 antigen). IgG can bind to an antigen in such quantity that the antigen—a virus, bacterium,
or bacterially derived toxin—is said to be neutralized, meaning that it can no longer bind to
the host.
2. IgA is the major form of antibody in external secretions, such as saliva, tears, and the
mucus that coats the gastrointestinal tract, bronchi, and genitourinary tract. IgA plays a
major role in protection of these surfaces; it is usually secreted as a dimer.
3. IgM is a receptor on the surface of all mature, naive B cells and is the first type of
antibody to be secreted during an immune response. Although IgM in the membrane of a
B cell is monomeric in form, it is
secreted as a pentamer (five
units. Its large size restricts it to
the circulation, but its pentameric
form means that it very efficiently
promotes agglutination of larger
antigens
4. IgE is present at very low
concentration in the plasma. On
secretion, most becomes bound to
mast cells and basophils that
recognize the Fc portion of IgE.
Binding of certain normally
harmless antigens to IgE
molecules bound to mast cells and
basophils produces the symptoms
of allergy, such as the runny nose
and itchy eyes of hay fever. IgE is
also often secreted in response to
an infection by helminth worms.
5. IgD is also present, along with
IgM, on mature naive B cells. The
B cells can be activated by cross-
linking of two IgD molecules, although under normal circumstances this class of
immunoglobulin is not secreted by the cells. On B-cell activation, IgD is no longer
displayed on the cell surface. Other roles for IgD remain elusive.

TYPES OF IMMUNE SYSTEM:

3. Passive immunity is the type of immunity that is “borrowed” from another source, but it
does not last indefinitely.

Example: A baby receives antibodies from the mother through the placenta before birth and in
breast milk following birth.

4. Active immunity - exposure to the disease organism can occur through infection with the
actual disease (resulting in natural immunity), or introduction of a killed or weakened form
of the disease organism through vaccination (vaccine-induced immunity).
Immunization introduces antigens or weakened pathogens to a person in such a way that
the individual does not become sick but still produces antibodies. Because the body saves
copies of the antibodies, it is protected if the threat should reappear later in life.
PCS: MEN AND WOMEN OF NOBLE CHARACTER Page 5