BIOS 242 Week 5 Discussion 2 – Adaptive Immunity
Question
Your friend Bruce calls in a panic. He has just come from the doctor and been diagnosed with
... [Show More] a bacterial infection. The doctor told him not to worry; his B cells will take care of it in no time! Knowing that you are studying the immune response, he is calling to ask you to explain this statement. Is the doctor correct? Is there more to the story?
Answer
B-cells are components of humoral immunity component of the adaptive immune system. They act by secreting antibodies. These antibodies are the ones that will boost his immunity to take care of the infection. The human body makes millions of different types of B cells each day that circulate in the blood and lymphatic system performing the role of immune surveillance. They do not produce antibodies until they become fully activated. Each B cell has a unique receptor protein (referred to as the B cell receptor (BCR)) on its surface that will bind to one particular antigen.
2.)
Q.)
Is your immune system compromised, if your spleen is removed?
A.)
Your spleen is a small organ located on the left side of your abdomen under the rib cage. Undergoing a spleen removal leaves you with a compromised, or weakened, immune system. This organ is part of your immune system and helps to fight off infections while also filtering damaged and old cells out of your bloodstream. It contains special white blood cells that destroy bacteria and help the body fight infections when you are sick. The spleen is an important part of the body's immune system.
3.)
Q.)
Explain the process of immunoglobulin class switching. What is the purpose of this process?
A.)
Well immunoglobulin class switching is kind of difficult to explain, but the importance of it is to insure that your body has all the appropriate Immunoglobulin (Ig). You only really start off with IgM. Your Ig consists of a heavy chain and a light chain. Heavy chain consists of VDJ while your light consists of only a VJ segment. On the website there is a good picture of the process and explains the steps involved as well. Basically the V-D and the VD-J segments reconnect to form the new Ig isotope for the heavy chain and the V-J segment reconnect in the light chain. They reconnect by part of the material in between the new connecting segments looping out and being cut out of the Ig creating the new Ig. [Show Less]