MCAT Biology : Systems Biology and Tissue Types

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for MCAT Biology

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Example Questions

Example Question #431 : Systems Biology And Tissue Types

Which of the following class of immunoglobulins is normally responsible for the promotion of the allergy response?

Possible Answers:

IgD

IgE

IgA

IgM

IgG

Correct answer:

IgE

Explanation:

IgE plays a critical role in induction and promotion of type I hypersensitivity (allergy, asthma, etc.) normally through engagement of Fc receptors on the surface of basophils and mast cells, which primes them to produce large quantities of granules and chemical mediators (including histamines and cytokines).

Example Question #432 : Systems Biology And Tissue Types

Which is not a function of B cells?

Possible Answers:

Ability to form memory cells

Presentation of antigen to T cells

Secretion of extracellular traps

Antibody production

Cytokine and chemokine production

Correct answer:

Secretion of extracellular traps

Explanation:

B cells play numerous integral roles in the immune response against foreign pathogens (viruses, bacteria, and fungi), including forming transient microenvironments called germinal centers, where they produce long-lived plasma cells that are high affinity for specific antigen and memory B cells. They also serve as antigen-presenting cells and producers of cytokines and chemokines; However, B cells are not able to produce extracellular traps, which primarily are composed of DNA and work to trap pathogens. Neutrophils produce extracellular traps.

Example Question #4 : Other Immunity Principles

Which cytokine is typically associated with the T helper 1 (Th1) response?

Possible Answers:

IL-4

TGF-beta

IL-17

IFN-gamma

IL-9

Correct answer:

IFN-gamma

Explanation:

The following helper T cells are paired with the following cytokines:

Th1 - IFN-gamma

Th2 - IL-4

Th9 - IL-9

Th17 - IL-17

Tfh - IL-21

Example Question #433 : Systems Biology And Tissue Types

What is the group of diseases called when a person's immune system loses its ability to recognize its own MHC proteins?

Possible Answers:

X-linked lymphoproliferative disease

Autoimmune

Hypersensitivity

X-linked autosomal recessive diseases

Allergies

Correct answer:

Autoimmune

Explanation:

Autoimmunity arises when one's immune system is unable to recognize its own MHC proteins, which could potentially lead to aberrant activation of the immune response. Furthermore, autoreactive immune cells that are normally induced to undergo apoptosis may be able to escape these tolerance mechanisms and induce tissue damage.

Example Question #434 : Systems Biology And Tissue Types

Which of the following cell types is considered to be part of the innate immune response?

Possible Answers:

T cells

NK cells

Memory cells

B cells

Myocytes

Correct answer:

NK cells

Explanation:

Natural killer (NK) cells are prominent members of the initial innate immune response against foreign pathogens. They play numerous integral roles in the innate response including cytotoxic killing, cytokine production, and antibody-mediated cell cytotoxicity. 

Example Question #7 : Other Immunity Principles

Which of the following group of cells are of the myeloid lineage?

Possible Answers:

Some dendritic cells

NK cells

B cells

All of the above

T cells

Correct answer:

Some dendritic cells

Explanation:

Cells of myeloid lineage include dendritic cells, monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, and eosinophils, while cells of lymphoid lineage include NK cells, B cells and T cells.

Example Question #13 : Animal Biology

Which of the following statements is true?

Possible Answers:

In the prevention of autoimmunity, T cell tolerance is more critical than B cell tolerance against self-nuclear antigens.

Healthy individuals do not have any B cells that are reactive against self-antigen.

The elimination of autoreactive lymphocytes during central tolerance is more important in the prevention of autoimmunity than peripheral tolerance.

Naive B cells need more than one signal to become activated towards a specific antigen.

Female sex hormones do not play an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease.

Correct answer:

Naive B cells need more than one signal to become activated towards a specific antigen.

Explanation:

Naive B cells (and most other immune cell subtypes) need more than one signal to become activated. They normally need B cell receptor signaling (signal 1), costimulation by other receptors (signal 2), and cytokines/chemokines (signal 3). This system is necessary in order to prevent aberrant activation of lymphocytes (safeguard against autoimmunity).  

In regards to the other statements, there are numerous autoreactive B cells at any given time due to the stochastic nature of VDJ recombination and germinal center reactions. Therefore, tolerance mechanisms and checkpoints are incredibly important to keep these cells in check; central and peripheral tolerance are equally important. Self-nuclear reactive B cells and T cells are both necessary and critical in autoimmune pathogenesis. Female sex hormones are definitely believed to contribute greatly to autoimmune disease pathogenesis (e.g. estrogen). Over 75% of autoimmune patients are women.

Example Question #435 : Systems Biology And Tissue Types

Somatic hypermutation of B cell receptor (BCR) genes in immature, developing B lymphocytes generates numerous specificities that are useful against a specific foreign antigen, however the process generates many more specificities that are either low affinity or reactive against self-antigens. Tolerance mechanisms, which include apoptosis or anergy, are in place in the bone marrow to prevent these "non-useful" or "harmful" B cells from exiting. However, these checkpoints are not 100% accurate and numerous B cells with autoreactive BCR's leave and travel to secondary lymphoid tissues.

Tolerance checkpoints exist in secondary lymphoid tissues to purge the repertoire of low-affinity or autoreactive B cells. What is the tolerance checkpoint mechanism in the secondary lymphoid tissues referred to as?

Possible Answers:

Central tolerance

Clonal deletion

Peripheral tolerance

Affinity maturation

Clonal expansion

Correct answer:

Peripheral tolerance

Explanation:

Peripheral tolerance is the correct term for the tolerance checkpoint mechanisms that are instituted in the secondary lymphoid organs such as spleen and lymph nodes. B cells with BCR specificities that are low affinity or reactive against self-nuclear antigen will be purged from the repertoire.

Example Question #436 : Systems Biology And Tissue Types

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the loss of tolerance to self antigens leading to the presence of high autoantibody titers. There are several underlying causes behind SLE, one of which is a dysregulation in the clearance of apoptotic cells, which can lead to secondary necrosis. This leads to the leakage of danger signals which contributes to the loss of peripheral tolerance and chronic inflammation.

A deficiency in the clearance of apoptotic cells can be attributed to which immune cell type?

Possible Answers:

Macrophages

Natural killer cells

Plasma cells

Cytotoxic T cells

Germinal center B cells

Correct answer:

Macrophages

Explanation:

The defect in clearance of apoptotic cells in SLE is mainly attributed to macrophages, which serve integral roles in phagocytosis of dead cells and debris. An inability to clear these apoptotic cells over time leads to secondary necrosis, which results in the production and release of several DAMPS or damage-associated molecular pattern molecules which are potent inducers of the immune response.

Example Question #123 : Immune And Lymphatic Systems

Bone marrow chimeric mice are an invaluable tool used by immunologists to elucidate specific mechanisms of the immune response. The generation of these chimeras involve whole body irradiation to eliminate the mouse bone marrow followed by adoptive transfer of bone marrow from a donor mouse (usually transgenic).  

One critical step in the successful generation of bone marrow chimeric mice involves the depletion of T cells from the donor bone marrow. Which of the following is reason for this necessary step?

Possible Answers:

The donor T cells are unable to reconstitute, proliferate, and mature in the recipient mouse.

All of these

The donor T cells may be activated by the MHC antigens from the recipient's cells, resulting in a graft versus host response.

The donor T cells have an inherently reduced cytotoxic killing ability.

The donor T cells are inherently defective in their ability to produce cytokines and growth factors needed in the bone marrow reconstitution.

Correct answer:

The donor T cells may be activated by the MHC antigens from the recipient's cells, resulting in a graft versus host response.

Explanation:

T cells from the donor must be depleted due to the risk of incompatible MHC antigens on the recipient cells. If there is incompatibility, the donor T cells will attack and kill the host cells resulting in a graft versus host response.

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