,Abbas: Basic Immunology, 4th Edition
Chapter 01: Introduction to the Immune System
Test Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The principal function of the immune system is:
A. Defense against cancer
B. Repair of injured tissues
C. Defense against microbial infections
D. Prevention of inflammatory diseases
E. Protection against environmental toxins
ANS: C
The immune system has evolved in the setting of selective pressures imposed by
microbial infections. Although immune responses to cancer may occur, the concept that
“immunosurveillance” against cancer is a principal function of the immune system is
controversial. Repair of injured tissues may be a secondary consequence of the immune
responses and inflammation. Although the immune system has regulatory features that
are needed to prevent excessive inflammation, prevention of inflammatory diseases is not
a primary function. The immune system can protect against microbial toxins, but it
generally does not offer protection against toxins of nonbiologic origin.
2. Which of the following infectious diseases was prevented by the first successful
vaccination?
A. Polio
B. Tuberculosis
C. Smallpox
D. Tetanus
E. Rubella
ANS: C
In 1798, Edward Jenner reported the first intentional successful vaccination, which was
against smallpox in a boy, using material from the cowpox pustules of a milkmaid. In
1980, smallpox was reported to be eradicated worldwide by a vaccination program.
Effective vaccines against tetanus toxin, rubella virus, and poliovirus were developed in
the 20th century and are widely used. There is no effective vaccine against
Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
3. A previously healthy 8-year-old boy is infected with an upper respiratory tract virus
for the first time. During the first few hours of infection, which one of the following
events occurs?
A. The adaptive immune system responds rapidly to the virus and keeps the viral
infection under control.
B. The innate immune system responds rapidly to the viral infection and keeps the
viral infection under control.
, C. Passive immunity mediated by maternal antibodies limits the spread of infection.
D. B and T lymphocytes recognize the virus and stimulate the innate immune
response.
E. The virus causes malignant transformation of respiratory mucosal epithelial cells,
and the malignant cells are recognized by the adaptive immune system.
ANS: B
The innate immune response to microbes develops within hours of infection, well before
the adaptive immune response. B and T lymphocytes are components of the adaptive
immune response, and they would not be able to respond to a newly encountered virus
before the innate immune response. An 8-year-old boy would no longer have maternal
antibodies from transplacental passive transfer and is unlikely to be breast-feeding, which
is another potential source of maternal antibodies. Malignant transformation takes
months or years to develop.
4. Which of the following is a unique property of the adaptive immune system?
A. Highly diverse repertoire of specificities for antigens
B. Self-nonself discrimination
C. Recognition of microbial structures by both cell-associated and soluble receptors
D. Protection against viral infections
E. Responses that have the same kinetics and magnitude on repeated exposure to the
same microbe
ANS: A
Highly diverse repertoires of specificities for antigens are found only in T and B
lymphocytes, which are the central cellular components of the adaptive immune system.
Both the innate and the adaptive immune systems use cell-associated and soluble
receptors to recognize microbes, display some degree of self-nonself discrimination, and
protect against viruses. On repeated exposure to the same microbe, the adaptive immune
response becomes more rapid and of greater magnitude; this is the manifestation of
memory.
5. Antibodies and T lymphocytes are the respective mediators of which two types of
immunity?
A. Innate and adaptive
B. Passive and active
C. Specific and nonspecific
D. Humoral and cell-mediated
E. Adult and neonatal
ANS: D
Both B and T lymphocytes are principal components of adaptive immunity. B
lymphocytes produce antibodies, which are the recognition and effector molecules of
humoral immune responses to extracellular pathogens. T cells recognize and promote
eradication of intracellular pathogens in cell-mediated immunity. Passive and active
immunity both can be mediated by either B or T lymphocytes. Specific immunity is
another term for adaptive immunity. Both B and T lymphocytes participate in adult
adaptive immunity but are still developing in the neonatal period.
, 6. A standard treatment of animal bite victims, when there is a possibility that the
animal was infected with the rabies virus, is administration of human immunoglobulin
preparations containing anti–rabies virus antibodies. Which type of immunity would be
established by this treatment?
A. Active humoral immunity
B. Passive humoral immunity
C. Active cell-mediated immunity
D. Passive cell-mediated immunity
E. Innate immunity
ANS: B
Humoral immunity is mediated by antibodies. The transfer of protective antibodies made
by one or more individuals into another individual is a form of passive humoral
immunity. Active immunity to an infection develops when an individual’s own immune
system responds to the microbe. Cell-mediated immunity is mediated by T lymphocytes,
not antibodies, and innate immunity is not mediated by either antibodies or T
lymphocytes.
7. At 15 months of age, a child received a measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR). At
age 22, she is living with a family in Mexico that has not been vaccinated and she is
exposed to measles. Despite the exposure, she does not become infected. Which of the
following properties of the adaptive immune system is best illustrated by this scenario?
A. Specificity
B. Diversity
C. Specialization
D. Memory
E. Nonreactivity to self
ANS: D
Protection against infections after vaccination is due to immunologic memory of the
adaptive immune system. Memory is manifested as a more rapidly developing and
vigorous response on repeat exposure to an antigen compared with the first exposure.
Specificity and diversity are properties related to the range of antigenic structures
recognized by the immune system, and specialization is the ability of the adaptive
immune system to use distinct effector mechanisms for distinct infections.
8. A vaccine administered in the autumn of one year may protect against the prevalent
strain of influenza virus that originated in Hong Kong that same year, but it will not
protect against another strain of influenza virus that originated in Russia. This
phenomenon illustrates which property of the adaptive immune system?
A. Specificity
B. Amnesia
C. Specialization
D. Cultural diversity
E. Self-tolerance
ANS: A
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