MCA 1 Exam Questions & Answers | Complete Study
Review
What are the 2 main types of immunity?
Innate immunity and acquired immunity.
What is innate immunity?
Immunity present at birth; it is nonspecific, provides first-line defense, and can respond within
minutes without prior exposure.
What WBCs are primarily involved in innate immunity?
Neutrophils and monocytes.
What are the 5 classic local manifestations of inflammation?
Redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function.
What causes local redness and heat during inflammation?
Vasodilation leading to increased local blood flow (hyperemia) and increased cellular
metabolism.
What causes edema/swelling during acute inflammation?
Increased capillary permeability allowing fluid shift into the interstitial space.
What key systemic manifestations indicate systemic inflammation?
Leukocytosis, left shift (increased bands), fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, fatigue, and malaise.
What does a "left shift" in a complete blood count indicate?
An increased proportion of immature neutrophils (bands), indicating high demand for WBCs.
What is acquired immunity?
Specific immunity that develops as active or passive immunity.
What is active acquired immunity?
The person's own body produces antibodies and sensitized lymphocytes after exposure to an
antigen.
Is active immunity immediate or long-lasting?
,It takes time to develop but is long-lasting because the person's own immune system makes
antibodies and memory cells.
Natural active immunity example
Actual infection/disease → body makes its own immunity. Example: immunity after chickenpox,
measles, or mumps.
Artificial active immunity example
Vaccination/immunization with an antigen.
What is passive acquired immunity?
The person RECEIVES antibodies rather than producing them.
Is passive immunity immediate or long-lasting?
Immediate protection, but short-lived because the person does not make the antibodies or
memory cells.
Natural passive immunity example
Maternal antibodies transferred through the placenta or colostrum to the baby.
Artificial passive immunity example
Injection of antibodies/immune globulin, such as hepatitis B immune globulin.
MEMORY — Active vs Passive
ACTIVE = your body ACTIVELY makes antibodies. PASSIVE = antibodies are PASSED to you.
MEMORY — Natural vs Artificial
NATURAL = happens naturally through infection/mother. ARTIFICIAL = medical intervention such
as vaccine or immune globulin.
Natural active vs artificial active
Natural active = actual infection. Artificial active = vaccination. BOTH cause the person's own
immune system to make antibodies.
Natural passive vs artificial passive
Natural passive = mother → baby. Artificial passive = injected antibodies/immune globulin.
Which immunity provides the fastest protection?
Passive immunity.
,Which immunity is generally longer lasting?
Active immunity.
What are T cells primarily responsible for?
Cell-mediated immunity.
Where do T lymphocytes mature?
The thymus.
What are the 2 important types of T cells in this chapter?
T helper (CD4) cells and T cytotoxic (CD8) cells.
What do T helper (CD4) cells do?
Regulate cell-mediated immunity and the humoral antibody response; they produce cytokines
that regulate other immune cells.
What do TH1 cells do?
Stimulate phagocyte-mediated ingestion and killing of microbes; important in cell-mediated
immunity.
What do TH2 cells do?
Stimulate eosinophil-mediated immunity; important against parasites and involved in allergic
responses.
What do T cytotoxic (CD8) cells do?
Attack antigens on foreign cell membranes and release cytolytic substances that destroy the
target.
What are memory T cells?
Sensitized T cells that remain after exposure and allow a faster, stronger response with later
exposure to the same antigen.
MEMORY — CD4 vs CD8
CD4 = HELPER/regulator. CD8 = CYTOTOXIC/KILLER.
What are cytokines?
Soluble chemical messengers secreted by WBCs and other cells that allow immune cells to
communicate.
, What do cytokines tell cells to change?
Their proliferation, differentiation, secretion, or activity.
What are the 3 major cytokine groups emphasized in Lewis?
Interleukins, colony-stimulating factors, and interferons.
General function of interleukins (ILs)
Immunomodulatory factors that regulate immune-cell activity.
General function of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs)
Growth-regulating factors for hematopoietic blood cells.
General function of interferons (IFNs)
Antiviral and immunomodulatory effects.
What does erythropoietin do?
Stimulates erythroid progenitor cells in bone marrow to produce red blood cells.
What medications are erythropoietin-type cytokines?
Epoetin alfa (Epogen/Procrit) and darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp).
What are epoetin alfa and darbepoetin alfa used for in Lewis?
Anemia related to chronic kidney disease, cancer, and chemotherapy.
MEMORY — Erythropoietin
EPO → ERYTHROCYTES → RBC production.
What type of hypersensitivity is anaphylaxis?
Type I immediate hypersensitivity.
What triggers a Type I allergic response?
An allergen interacts with IgE attached to mast cells, triggering release of chemical mediators.
How quickly can systemic anaphylaxis occur?
Within minutes.
Why is anaphylaxis life-threatening?
Bronchial constriction/airway obstruction and vascular collapse can rapidly occur.
Review
What are the 2 main types of immunity?
Innate immunity and acquired immunity.
What is innate immunity?
Immunity present at birth; it is nonspecific, provides first-line defense, and can respond within
minutes without prior exposure.
What WBCs are primarily involved in innate immunity?
Neutrophils and monocytes.
What are the 5 classic local manifestations of inflammation?
Redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function.
What causes local redness and heat during inflammation?
Vasodilation leading to increased local blood flow (hyperemia) and increased cellular
metabolism.
What causes edema/swelling during acute inflammation?
Increased capillary permeability allowing fluid shift into the interstitial space.
What key systemic manifestations indicate systemic inflammation?
Leukocytosis, left shift (increased bands), fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, fatigue, and malaise.
What does a "left shift" in a complete blood count indicate?
An increased proportion of immature neutrophils (bands), indicating high demand for WBCs.
What is acquired immunity?
Specific immunity that develops as active or passive immunity.
What is active acquired immunity?
The person's own body produces antibodies and sensitized lymphocytes after exposure to an
antigen.
Is active immunity immediate or long-lasting?
,It takes time to develop but is long-lasting because the person's own immune system makes
antibodies and memory cells.
Natural active immunity example
Actual infection/disease → body makes its own immunity. Example: immunity after chickenpox,
measles, or mumps.
Artificial active immunity example
Vaccination/immunization with an antigen.
What is passive acquired immunity?
The person RECEIVES antibodies rather than producing them.
Is passive immunity immediate or long-lasting?
Immediate protection, but short-lived because the person does not make the antibodies or
memory cells.
Natural passive immunity example
Maternal antibodies transferred through the placenta or colostrum to the baby.
Artificial passive immunity example
Injection of antibodies/immune globulin, such as hepatitis B immune globulin.
MEMORY — Active vs Passive
ACTIVE = your body ACTIVELY makes antibodies. PASSIVE = antibodies are PASSED to you.
MEMORY — Natural vs Artificial
NATURAL = happens naturally through infection/mother. ARTIFICIAL = medical intervention such
as vaccine or immune globulin.
Natural active vs artificial active
Natural active = actual infection. Artificial active = vaccination. BOTH cause the person's own
immune system to make antibodies.
Natural passive vs artificial passive
Natural passive = mother → baby. Artificial passive = injected antibodies/immune globulin.
Which immunity provides the fastest protection?
Passive immunity.
,Which immunity is generally longer lasting?
Active immunity.
What are T cells primarily responsible for?
Cell-mediated immunity.
Where do T lymphocytes mature?
The thymus.
What are the 2 important types of T cells in this chapter?
T helper (CD4) cells and T cytotoxic (CD8) cells.
What do T helper (CD4) cells do?
Regulate cell-mediated immunity and the humoral antibody response; they produce cytokines
that regulate other immune cells.
What do TH1 cells do?
Stimulate phagocyte-mediated ingestion and killing of microbes; important in cell-mediated
immunity.
What do TH2 cells do?
Stimulate eosinophil-mediated immunity; important against parasites and involved in allergic
responses.
What do T cytotoxic (CD8) cells do?
Attack antigens on foreign cell membranes and release cytolytic substances that destroy the
target.
What are memory T cells?
Sensitized T cells that remain after exposure and allow a faster, stronger response with later
exposure to the same antigen.
MEMORY — CD4 vs CD8
CD4 = HELPER/regulator. CD8 = CYTOTOXIC/KILLER.
What are cytokines?
Soluble chemical messengers secreted by WBCs and other cells that allow immune cells to
communicate.
, What do cytokines tell cells to change?
Their proliferation, differentiation, secretion, or activity.
What are the 3 major cytokine groups emphasized in Lewis?
Interleukins, colony-stimulating factors, and interferons.
General function of interleukins (ILs)
Immunomodulatory factors that regulate immune-cell activity.
General function of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs)
Growth-regulating factors for hematopoietic blood cells.
General function of interferons (IFNs)
Antiviral and immunomodulatory effects.
What does erythropoietin do?
Stimulates erythroid progenitor cells in bone marrow to produce red blood cells.
What medications are erythropoietin-type cytokines?
Epoetin alfa (Epogen/Procrit) and darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp).
What are epoetin alfa and darbepoetin alfa used for in Lewis?
Anemia related to chronic kidney disease, cancer, and chemotherapy.
MEMORY — Erythropoietin
EPO → ERYTHROCYTES → RBC production.
What type of hypersensitivity is anaphylaxis?
Type I immediate hypersensitivity.
What triggers a Type I allergic response?
An allergen interacts with IgE attached to mast cells, triggering release of chemical mediators.
How quickly can systemic anaphylaxis occur?
Within minutes.
Why is anaphylaxis life-threatening?
Bronchial constriction/airway obstruction and vascular collapse can rapidly occur.
