The immune system

The immune system

Bottom text

Multiple Choice

The role of the immune system is to:

• Absorb nutrients from food

• Deliver nutrients and collect wastes

• Exchange gases, like carbon dioxide and oxygen, with the air

• Prevent and fight disease

Multiple Choice

Identify how many lines of defence the immune system has.

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Open Ended

Some people have a genetic disorder that prevents their immune system from developing normally.

Explain why people with this disorder are at greater risk of getting sick.

Open Ended

Consider the function of snot.

Describe which of these properties might be helpful for that function.

Multiple Select

Mucus is a sticky liquid. It plays an important role in the first line of defense by trapping pathogens.

Select which of the following produce mucus.

• Nose

• Eyes

• Lungs

• Intestines

Multiple Select

Cilia are microscopic hairs on the cells that line the airways.

Identify their role in the first line of defense.

• To kill bacteria by breaking down their cell walls

• To produce chemicals that can kill pathogens

• To push mucus up and out of the airways

• To aid the flow of urine out of the bladder and urethra

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is a common eye infection also known as “pink eye”. It can be caused by bacteria or viruses and is very contagious.

Open Ended

One symptom of conjunctivitis is an increase in the amount of tears produced. Explain why this might occur.

Use the words pathogen, physical barrier, chemical barrier and enzyme.

Open Ended

Tim is eating undercooked chicken nuggets that are contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. However, thanks to his immune system, he does not get infected.

Describe how the first line of defence protects Tim from infection as the nuggets go from his hands to his mouth to his stomach.

Open Ended

Some people with genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis have extremely thick mucus. If mucus is too thick, cilia in the lungs can't push it out.

Explain why this puts people with cystic fibrosis at greater risk of lung infections. Use the words pathogens, physical barrier, lungs and infection in your answer.

Multiple Choice

Identify the role of the second line of defence.

• To attack specific pathogens inside the body

• To prevent pathogens from entering the body

• To respond in a general way to any pathogens that have entered the body

• To remember pathogens so they can be quickly defeated in the future

Open Ended

Explain how the second line of defence relies on the heart pumping blood around the body.

Neutrophils

Neutrophils are important effector cells in immune system.

They constantly patrol the organism for signs of microbial infections, these cells quickly respond to trap and kill the invading pathogens.

Open Ended

Pimples form when oil glands in the skin become blocked. Some pimples become red and painful, and contain pus.

Explain why these are signs that the pimples are infected.

Multiple Choice

According to the graph, identify this person's normal core body temperature.

• 36

• 37

• 37.5

• 39.4

• 1000

Multiple Choice

During the fever, determine what the average core body temperature was closest to.

• 20

• 39.4

• 39.6

• 40

• 1000

Open Ended

We touched on this previously. The third line of defence targets specific pathogens which have invaded the body, what kind of immunity can we refer to this as?

Multiple Select

Identify the two main roles of the third line of defence.

• To identify and attack specific pathogens inside the body

• To prevent pathogens from entering the body

• To respond in a general way to any pathogens that have entered the body

• To build immunity to specific pathogens

Multiple Select

To be immune to a disease caused by a pathogen means:

• the pathogen can no longer enter the body

• the immune system has formed a memory of the pathogen

• the second line of defence can easily fight the pathogen with fever

• the immune system can fight the pathogen more quickly and effectively

Open Ended

Explain why you can't become immune to a pathogen that has only encountered the first two lines of defence.