39.

2 DEFENSE
AGAINST
INFECTIOUS
DISEASES
First line of defense:
Barriers
 Nonspecific defense: includes the skin and
mucous membranes
 Skin
○ serves as a physical barrier against pathogens
○ Releases sweat that contains lysozyme ( a chemical that
is toxic to bacteria)
 Mucous membranes line the respiratory & digestive
tracts
○ Secrete mucus, a sticky substance that traps pathogens
○ Cilia sweep mucus & pathogens up to the pharynx where
they are swallowed
 Stomach
○ Stomach acids destroy swallowed pathogens
Second line of defense: non-
specific immunity
 Inflammatory response: a series of events
that suppress infection & speed recovery.
White Blood Cells
 Basophils are found in the blood. They
release histimine at an infection site.
 Eosinophilsrelease enzymes to fight
pathogens. They have limited phagocytic
activity
White Blood Cells
 Phagocytes are white blood cells that ingest
& destroy pathogens and foreign matter
Neutrophils are the most abundant type of
phagocytes. They circulate through blood
vessels and squeeze through capillary vessels to
infection sites
Monocytesare small immature macrophages.
They circulate in the blood. When they reach an
infected area they leave blood & mature into
macrophages. Macrophages are phagocytes
found in body tissues (lysosomal enzymes inside
macrophages digest the ingested particles)
Temperature response
 Temperature above 37oC is called a fever.
 Some pathogens trigger fever
 Chemical released by macrophages trigger
a fever
 A moderate fever may slow bacterial & viral
growth & promote WBC activity
 High fevers are dangerous because extreme
heat can destroy important cellular proteins
Proteins
 About 20 proteins make up the
complement system. They circulate in
the blood & become active when they
encounter a pathogen
Interferons are proteins released by cells
infected with viruses
Interferons diffuse to uninfected neighboring
cells, which then produce antiviral proteins
that prevent the virus from multiplying.
Overview of the Body’s
defense
 Specific defenses: Immune
System
 The immune system is made up of
the:
 Bone marrow: place where
lymphocytes are made
 Thymus: gland above the heart, helps
produce T cells
 lymph nodes: small mass of tissue that
filters pathogens from lymph and
exposes them to lymphocytes
 spleen: stores healthy blood cells
 tonsils: provide protection against
bacteria & pathogens that enter nose &
mouth
 Lymphocytes: B cells & T cells
Immune Response
 Immune Response: reaction of the body
against an antigen
 Antigen: any foreign substance that the
immune system can react with
Pathogens or parts of pathogens
Bacterial toxins
Insect venom
Pollen
Any molecule that is not part of an individual’s
body
Antibody immunity
Cellular immunity
Immune response
animation
 http://highered.mcgraw-
hill.com/sites/0072507470/student_view0
/chapter22/animation__the_immune_resp
onse.html
Primary vs. Secondary
immune response
 The secondary
immune response
(the second time
you’re exposed to an
antigen) is faster and
more powerful than
the primary immune
response
Passive vs. Active
Immunity
 Passive acquired immunity: develops as a
result of acquiring antibodies that are
generated in another host
Natural: during pregnancy from mom to baby
through placenta, or through mom’s milk
Artificial: antibody injections
 Active acquired immunity: obtained when a
person is exposed to antigens
Vaccine: a substance consisting of a weakened
or dead, or incomplete pathogen which produces
and immune response
 HIV & AIDS
 AIDS: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, where
the immune system loses the ability to fight off
pathogens and cancers
 AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency
virus, HIV
 HIV binds and replicates inside macrophages but doesn’t
destroy them
 HIV attaches & replicates inside T helper cells (virus
destroys the T helper cells) It eventually kills enough T
helper cells to cripple the immune system
 Infected individuals can have the HIV virus for up to 10
years without showing signs of AIDS
 A person is diagnosed with AIDS when the number of T
helper cells drops dramatically where the T helper cells no
longer stimulate B cells and cytotoxic T cells to fight
invaders.
 Transmission of HIV
 HIV is transmitted by the transfer of bodily
fluids containing HIV or HIV-infected cells.
Sexual contact with an infected person
Use of syringes and hypodermic needles that
have been contaminated with blood containing
HIV
Infected mother to her baby before or during birth
or through breast-feeding
Blood transfusion (low rate)
HIV is NOT transmitted through casual contact,
through the air, in water, on toilet seats or through
insect bites