| A | B |
|---|
| Effector cell | The first group of newly cloned cells; they combat antigens. |
| Plasma cell | A form of an effector cell that stems specifically from B cells |
| Primary immune response | When lymphocytes are exposed to an antigen the first time |
| Secondary immune response | A faster and stronger subsequent bodily reaction to a familiar antigen |
| Antibody | Immune molecule that eliminates microbes and marks invaders. Made of four polypeptide chains, 2 heavy, 2 light. |
| Agglutination | A method antibodies use to clump microbes together |
| Complement system | A group of versatile proteins that help the innate defenses; when activated, some can “punch holes” in microbes |
| Precipitation | A method antibodies use to get microbes to turn to solids and fall out of solution |
| Cytotoxic T cells | Part of cell-mediated response, so they attack body cells infected with pathogens. |
| Helper T cells | Lend a helping hand to antigen-presenting cells, helps activate cytotoxic T cells, stimulates B cell to produce antibodies. |
| Antigen-presenting cells | Macrophages, B cells or any other cell that presents a pathogen on its surface in a self-nonself complex for other cells to see. |
| Self-protein | When presenting antigen on surface, the receptor that holds is a protein that belongs to the cell, a “self-protein” |
| Nonself molecules | Foreign antigens. |
| Interleukin 2 | Released by helper T cell; stimulates B cells (humoral immune response) and activates cytotoxic T cells (cell-mediated) |
| Self-nonself complex | What is presented on cells’ surfaces to alert helper T cells to come into play |
| Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) | A group of self-protein genes; encoding for unique surface proteins on each person’s cells; “molecular fingerprint” |
| Autoimmune disease | When your body thinks its own cells are foreign and attacks them |
| Immunodeficiency disease | When your body’s immune system is depressed and vulnerable to opportunistic infections. |
| Antihistamines | Counter the inflammatory response caused by histamines. |
| Anaphylactic shock | An especially dangerous type of allergic reaction |
