Biology, Eighth Edition (Raven)

Chapter 51: The Immune System

Learning Outcomes

• Explain the three levels of vertebrate immunological defense including how skin prevents invasion by microbes.
• Describe the three kinds of cells that kill invading microorganisms.
• Compare how the complement and interferon systems augment other immunological defenses.
• Know how the inflammatory response helps to fight infection.
• Differentiate among the four primary types of T cells and know their involvement in the cell-mediated immune response.
• Understand the role of MHC proteins in T cell function.
• Understand the primary events of the humoral immune response.
• Describe the structure of B cell and T cell receptors.
• Understand how clonal selection prepares a body to fight off future invaders more efficiently.
• Know the result of loss of immunological tolerance.
• Understand the reactions associated with ABO and Rh blood typing.
• Compare how invertebrates and vertebrates recognize foreign tissue and indicate the advantages and disadvantages of each method.
• Describe the three ways in which the AIDS virus interferes with the immune response.
• Explain antigen shifting and how it is associated with man’s failure to develop vaccines against diseases like malaria.
• Compare immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions.