Lecture Notes: Adaptive Immune System - Humoral Response

Overview

• Immune System Parallel: Comparing immune system strategies to a game like World of Warcraft, where knowing your enemy's weaknesses is key.
• Innate vs. Adaptive Immunity:
  • Innate Immunity: Immediate, non-specific defense.
  • Adaptive Immunity: Slower, specific response, requires introduction to pathogens.

Adaptive Immune System

• Characteristics:
  • Not present at birth, develops over time.
  • Requires exposure to specific pathogens to become effective.
  • Systemic: Can fight infections throughout the body.

Humoral Immunity

• Components:
  • White blood cells produce antibodies.
  • Antibodies patrol fluids (blood, lymph) to neutralize pathogens.

Functions of Antibodies

• Neutralization: Blocks binding sites on pathogens.
• Agglutination: Clumps multiple pathogens together for easier elimination.
• Calling for Help: Attracts phagocytes and other immune cells.

B Lymphocytes (B Cells)

• Development: Originate and mature in bone marrow.
• Characteristics:
  • Immunocompetence: Ability to recognize specific antigens.
  • Self-tolerance: Not attacking the body's own cells.
• Activation:
  • Display antibodies that bind to specific antigens.
  • Encounter with antigen leads to activation and cloning.

Cloning Process

• Effector Cells (Plasma Cells): Produce and release antibodies.
• Memory Cells: Preserve successful antibodies for future responses.
• Production Rate: Up to 2,000 antibodies per second.

Mechanism of Vaccinations

• Types:
  • Natural: Encountering the pathogen (e.g., flu, chickenpox).
  • Artificial: Through vaccination (weakened/dead pathogen).
• Function: Preparing the immune system for faster, stronger responses in future encounters.

Types of Humoral Immunity

• Active Humoral Immunity: Body produces antibodies in response to pathogen.
• Passive Humoral Immunity:
  • Natural: Transfer from mother to fetus (placenta, breast milk).
  • Artificial: Receiving antibodies from an immune donor (e.g., ebola treatment).

Future Content

• Upcoming Topic: Cellular Immunity - Response to intracellular pathogens.

---

Credits

• Lecture by Linnea Boyev
• Script by Kathleen Yale
• Editing and Production Team: Blake de Pastino, Nicholas Jenkins, Nicole Sweeney, Michael Aranda, Thought Cafe