AQA Immunity Booklet
Pathogens
A pathogen is a _______________________. Examples include ____________________ and
parasites.
Non Specific Defence
Our body can defend itself against pathogens in a non specific way. This includes the
following methods:
(i)Hydrochloric Acid: _________________________________________________________
(ii)Epithelial Mucus: _________________________________________________________
(ii) The skin: ________________________________________________________________
If a pathogen manages to make it through these defence mechanisms, it is unlikely to
escape the _____________, a type of white blood cell that can undergo the pathogen
destroying process known as __________________. The following steps happen when a
phagocyte comes into contact with a pathogen.
(i)The phagocyte is attracted to the pathogen by
_____________________.
(ii)The phagocyte binds to the pathogen.
(iii)The pathogen is ___________ by the phagocyte and is
isolated in a ___________________
(iv) ________________ within the phagocyte migrate
towards the _______________.
(v) The _____________ release their ________ enzymes into
the phagosome, where they digest the pathogen.
(vi)The breakdown products of the pathogen are released
by ____________ or are displayed on the surface of the phagocyte
Exam Question 1
Specific Defence
Specific defence involves the __________ eradication of pathogens. This can only happen if
our body can _________________ between pathogens and our own body cells.
Antigens
Antigens are ________ (non self) proteins that are normally displayed on the _________ of
a pathogen. Each type of pathogen has a _________ shaped antigen, but every pathogen of
the same type has the _____ antigen. For example, vibrio cholorae (the bacteria responsible
for ________) displays a different shaped antigen to mycobacterium tuberculosis (the
bacteria responsible for TB). But every vibrio cholorae pathogen displays the same antigen,
as does every mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogen.
This is slightly complicated by the fact that members of the same virus do not all always
display the exact same antigen. The ________ virus is a classic example. Each influenza virus
that displays a different antigen is called a ________. This explains why you can still can get
the flu despite having had it a few weeks before.
Exam Question 2
Immunity
When an antigen is recognised by a type of white blood cell known as a ___________, the
resulting process is known as ____________, the ability of our body to protect itself from a
disease that we have already experienced. There are two interlinked types of immunity;
______ ___________ immunity and ____________ immunity.
Cell Mediated Immunity
______________ are important in cell mediated immunity. Known simply as _______, they
respond to ________ antigens that are attached to pathogens or the body’s own cells. The
following diagram explains how a _______________ becomes activated:
Receptor on the
T helper cell fits
perfectly onto the
antigen
When activated, the T helper cell divides rapidly by ____________, forming _______ of itself
with identical ____________. The cloned T cells then:
(i) develop into ________________ that enable a rapid response to future
infections of the same pathogen
(ii) stimulate ________________ production (important in humoural immunity)
(iii) kill infected cells by making a protein that causes _________ of the cell’s surface
membrane.
Humoural Immunity
Another type of white blood cell, the ______________ or ________ for short, is responsible
for humoural immunity. When an ________ is encountered by a B cell, the following steps
take place, leading to the production of ________________ and ________________:
(i) The surface __________ of the invading pathogen are taken up by ___________.
(ii) These antigens are then presented on the B cell’s ___________.
(iii) _______________ attach to these processed antigens, activating B cells to divide
by mitosis into clones known as __________________.
(iv) These plasma cells produce ___________ that are ____________ to the antigen.
(v) These antibodies attach to antigens on the pathogen and destroy them. This is
the ___________ response and as it takes time, the individual will suffer from
symptoms of the disease.
(vi) Some B cells develop into ______________. These cells divide rapidly and turn
into __________ producing ____________ when our body is infected later by the
same pathogen. This is the ___________ response and the pathogen is destroyed
before it can cause any _________________.
Antibodies
Antibodies are released by B cells in response to a specific
antigen. They are a protein made of _______ chains. The two
longest chains are called ________ chains. The two short
chains are called _______ chains. The _____________________ is
at the __________ of the Y shape and is also known as the _________
___________ because it is different on different antibodies. The
rest of the Y shape is called the _____________ region because
it is exactly the same for every antibody.
________________________ are antibodies that are produced from a single __________ of
B cells. They can be made in the laboratory using the following method:
Vaccination
________________ is produced by introducing ____________ from an outside source (e.g.
______________ antibodies). This immunity is short lived. _______________ is produced by
stimulating the body to produce its own antibodies (e.g. ____________). This is long-lasting.
Vaccination involves the introduction into the body of a vaccine containing a dead or
______________ pathogen or a toxin. The __________ are recognised by the body and an
immune response occurs. _______________ are made during this process which remain
_____________ in the body, ready to divide rapidly when they come into contact with the
same ____________.
If you vaccinate every member of the population against a disease you should be able to
eradicate it. Here are a few reasons why vaccination _____________ eliminate a disease:
(a) The pathogen may _____________ frequently so that its antigens change. This is
called ________________________. The ___________ virus and _________
bacterium is capable of doing this. The body will not have ________________ for the
new antigens and so is not _____________.
(b) There is often many different varieties or ___________ of a particular pathogen each
with their own unique shape of __________. There is around ________ strains of the
___________________ virus for example.
(c) Certain pathogens _________ from the immune system e.g. ____________ or within
the _______________.
(d) Some people object to vaccination for ____________ or ____________ reasons.
Exam Question 3
Answers to Exam Questions
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
