Organs and Cells of the Immune

System

Lab:1
 Word List
 Antigenic commitment
 Clonal proliferation
 GALT (Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissues)
 Lymph
 Lymphocyte activation
 MALT (Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissues)
 Peyer’s patches
 Primary lymphoid organs
 Secondary lymphoid organs
 Self antigens
Cells of the Immune System are produced
through the process of Hematopoiesis
 Organs of Immune System

 Primary lymphoid organs: where immature

lymphocytes originate and differentiate.
 Bone marrow
 Thymus
 Secondary lymphoid organs: where mature
lymphocytes get activated and become effector cells.
 Organized
 Lymph nodes
 Spleen
 Less organized
 MALT and GALT, Payers patches and
Solitary Nodules
 Peripheral Blood
 Lymphatic System

 Network of vessels
 Collects fluid from tissues
 Major cell is lymphocyte
 Unidirectional (Similar to veins thin
muscular walls with valves to insure
unidirectional flow)
 Often first place where antigens are
detected
 Thymus

 Structure
 Gross
 Bi-lobed
 Lies above heart
 Microscopic
 Capsular
 Lobules with outer cortex and inner
medulla
Thymus

Hassall’s
Corpuscle

Adult
Thymus
Adipose
tissue
 Thymus

 Function
 Takes in immature T cells and puts out
mature (immunocompetent) T cells
 Increased diversity of T cells
 T cell selection
 Thymus
 T cell selection
 Based on MHC/Ag complex recognition
 Recognize MHC/Non self AG complexes (+ve selection)
 Recognize MHC/Self Ag complexes (–ve selection)
 Do not recognize MHC/Ag complexes (–ve selection)

 Athymic condition
 Natural
 Other
 Bone marrow
 Structure
 Microscopic
 Less well defined than thymus
 Role of stromal cells

 Function
 Hematopoiesis
 B cell maturation
 B cell selection
 Puts out mature, naive B cells
 Bone
marrow
 Lymph Nodes

 Structure
 Gross
 Bean-shaped structures
 Drains major segments of lymphatic
system
 Lymph Nodes
 Structure
 Microscopic
 Major cell types
 Lymphocytes
 Macrophages
 Dendritic cells
 Cortex/paracortex/medulla
 Follicles
 Primary
 Secondary
Lymph
Nodes
 Lymph Nodes

 Function
 1st line of response to antigens
 Secondary follicle (Germinal center) is site of B
cell proliferation, mutation, differentiation
 Specificity is high
 >90% of B cells die through apoptosis
 After Ag stimualtion lymphocyte numbers up by
50X in efferent lymphatic vessel
 Lympadenopathy
 Spleen
 Structure
 Gross
 Ovoid organ in upper left quadrant of abdomen
 Microscopic
 Compartmentalized
 Red pulp
 White pulp
 Periarticualr lymphoid sheath
 Site of Ag presentation
 Major cell types
 Lymphocytes
 Macrophages
 Dendritic cells
 RBCs
Spleen
 Spleen

 Function
 Filters out older RBCs
 Responds to Ag in circulatory system
 Produces activated B cells

 Splenectomy
Peripheral Blood

Platelets

Eosinophil
Neutrophil

Lymphocyte
(T or B-cell)
Basophil

Monocyte
RBCs or Erythrocytes
 Tonsils
 Follicular structure
 Contains lymphocytes, macrophages,
mast cells
 Germinal centers appear in response
to Ag
 Protective role in URI
 Appendix

 Associated with intestines

 Responds to Ag
 Role in GI immune response
Appendix vs
Appendicitis

lumen

lumen

Acute appendicitis
 MALT
 Lymphoid tissues below epithelium
 Presence of B cells
 Ag presented through unique cell (M
cell)
 Preferentially responds with IgA
antibody