Question

82

Mary is an 8 year old girl who fell off her skateboard and has grazed her knee and hand. The epithelium of the skin is broken and bleeding. This case study will be used to contextualise and highlight the linkages between the early non-specific defences and later specific defences.

Non-specific defence mechanisms that would be important at the time of Mary’s injury:

Select one:

A. Include barriers to invasion, phagocytosis, inflammation, fever, interferon and complement proteins.

B. Include barriers to invasion, phagocytosis, B and T cells, inflammation and complement.

C. Require recognition of specific antigen sites on invading pathogens.

D. Require a long lead up time before they become effective.

Answer 1

Answer Option A. Include barriers to invasion, phagocytosis, inflammation, fever, interferon and complement proteins.

Option A is correct as the non-specific immune defenses acts quicker as compared to specific immune responses and the non-specific immune responses include the physical anatomical barriers (such as skin, endothelial cells and mucosa), Phagocytosis (for viral and other pathogen inactivation and defense), fever (with the help of rising temperature through interleukins-1 and -6, interferon, etc), Inflammation (elevated local temp, metabolic alteration, acid production and reduction in oxygen tension), Interferon and complement proteins (interferon and compliment proteins binds to the cells of vial and pathogen agents and block growth and replication). These above mentioned are the Non-specific defense mechanisms that would be important at the time of Mary’s injury.

Option B is incorrect as B and T cells are a part of specific defense mechanism and is not applicable for Non-specific defense mechanisms that would be important at the time of Mary’s injury

Option C is incorrect as recognition of specific antigen sites on invading pathogens comes under the purview of specific defense mechanisms

Option D is incorrect as non-specific defense mechanisms does not require longer time and are the fist defense mechanism present in place and act with little or no time against the invasion or immune response.