PSY 353: Detailed Study Guide on Stress and the Immune System (Psychoneuroimmunology)

9/15 STRESS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
- ​ THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
O PRIMARY JOB: DEFEND THE BODY AGAINST INFECTION

O FIRST, MUST DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SELF AND NON SELF
O IT KNOWS WHAT EVERY CELL LOOKS LIKE AND TAKES A PICTURE OF ANY INVADING
AGENT TO BE MORE READY FOR IT NEXT TIME

- ​ PIECES OF IMMUNE SYSTEM
O WHITE BLOOD CELLS

§ LYMPHOCYTES AND MONOCYTES
O TWO TYPES OF LYMPHOCYTES: B CELLS AND T CELLS
§ B CELLS MAKE ANTIBODIES
§ T CELLS HELP, SUPPRESS, AND KILL
- ​ FIGHTING INFECTION
O T CELLS: CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNITY (DIFFERENT SOLDIER UNIFORM, NOTICES IT RIGHT

AWAY)

§ INVADER IS RECOGNIZED, AND T CELLS MULTIPLY IN RESPONSE – KILLER T
CELLS DESTROY THE INVADER

O B CELLS: ANTIBODY-MEDIATED IMMUNITY
§ AFTER MONOCYTES SOUND ALARM, T HELPER CELLS STIMULATE B CELLS
§ B CELLS GENERATE ANTIBODIES, LARGE PROTEINS THAT RECOGNIZE AND BIND
TO THE ATTACKING POINT

- ​ STRESS AND IMMUNE FUNCTION
O CORTISOL (GLUCOCORTICOID): TELLS IMMUNE SYSTEM TO STOP FIGHTING

§ SUPPRESSES NEW LYMPHOCYTES, SHORTENS LIFE OF EXISTING ONES
§ STOPS PRODUCTION OF ANTIBODIES AND INHIBITS COMMUNICATION
§ SHRINKS THE THYMUS GLAND
·​ AFFECTS THE CREATION OF NEW T CELLS
- ​ PARADOX IN FIGHT OR FLIGHT
O IMMUNE SYSTEM ISN’T JUST HALTED, IT’S TAKEN APART

O CHEMICAL REACTION LEADING TO THE RELEASE OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS
O STRESS RESPONSE
§ UNDER ACUTE STRESS, IMMUNITY GOES UP TEMPORARILY
§ INFLAMMATORY CELLS RUSH TO HEAL THE INJURED NERVOUS SYSTEM
§ BUT THEN – GLUCOCORTICOIDS BEGIN THEIR WORK AND SUPPRESS
·​ BACK TO BASELINE
·​ AFTER THAT IT PLUMMETS