This 14-minute video lesson provides an overview of B cells (B lymphocytes) and how they are activated and produce antibodies. [Biology playlist: Lesson 53 of 71].
This lesson describes the major components and functions of the immune system and the role of engineers in keeping the body healthy (e.g., vaccinations and antibiotics, among other things). This lesson also discusses how an astronaut's immune system is suppressed during spaceflight due to stress and other environmental factors.
This course is an advanced undergraduate seminar based upon discussions and critical analysis of primary literature in the field of immunology. Every infection consists of a battle between the invading pathogen and the resisting host. To be successful, a pathogen must escape the many defenses of the host immune system until it can replicate and spread to another host. A pathogen must prevent one of three stages of immune function: detection, activation, or effector function. Examples of disease specific immune evasion and the mechanisms used by pathogens to prevail over their host's immune systems are discussed. What these host-pathogen interactions reveal about the normal function of the immune system and about basic cell biological processes, such as protein maturation and degradation, are also considered.
General Learning Objectives for Immunology
1. To understand the structural and genetic basis of diversity and specificity of immunoglobulins and T cell receptors.
2. To understand the utility of antibodies in many clinical tests for proteins, hormones, etc.
3. To understand the events that hallmark the antigen-independent and antigen-dependent phases of B cell differentiation.
4. To understand the diversity of MHC molecules, and how that diversity differs from immunoglobulin and T cell receptor diversity.
5. To understand how MHC molecules present antigens, and how antigens are processed to before presentation.
6. To understand positive and negative T cell selection in the thymus, and how those events influence the final T cell repertoire.
7. To understand the requirements for T cell activation by antigen, and how the nature of the antigen presenting cell influences the outcome of antigen recognition.
8. To understand that transplantation reactions are mainly the result of T cell recognition of allogeneic MHC molecules.
9. To understand how the effector functions of antibodies, T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and NK cells can eliminate pathogens or lead to pathology.
10. To understand the function of CD4+ Th1, CD4+ Th2 cells, and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in the immune response.
11. To appreciate the multiple roles of cytokines and chemokines in mediating interactions between leukocytes and other leukocytes and between leukocytes and other types of cells.
12. To understand how cells in both innate and acquired immunity can encounter a pathogen first at one site, and then fight an infection at some distal site.
