Assessment Statements Check - Week 1 of Unit 4

After our first week of studying the immune system, you should have the following assessment statements completed:


1) A page with drawings and functions of blood (6.2.6/6.2.7)
2) A page with a table detailing the components and mechanisms of nonspecific defence (6.3.3/6.3.4)


And two more pages based on the work we have done in class over the past two, days that should look as follows:





and





Today, we discussed vaccination and looked at this graph:

Stay healthy!

Mr. Hill

Antigens and Antibodies

Hi all,

Tomorrow we will be doing a classroom model of what's called the specific immune response - the way your immune system creates long term immunity to specific diseases.  For example, you may have heard that you can only get chicken pox once - you get sick once, but if you are ever exposed to the pox virus again your body has a very specific set of defenses built up to deal with that virus.  This is long-term, specific immunity - but how does it come about?  Stay tuned to find out.

Homework
Using p.638-40 in your text, you will:

1) Do flashcards for "antigen" and "antibody"
2) In your class journal, explain how antigens and antibodies interact.  A drawing might be useful to show their binding.

Additionally, you may want to preview the diagram on p.639, as this will be the focus of our model tomorrow.

Thanks,
Mr. Hill

Nonspecific Immunity!

Hi all,

Today we did assessment statements 6.2.6 and 6.2.7 describing the elements that make up the blood; tomorrow we will be looking at your body's first round of defenses against infection, many of which are mediated through the actions of the blood and circulatory system.  Exciting!

Homework
Please read textbook pages 636-638 about nonspecific defenses, and answer the following questions in your class journal or on looseleaf:

1) What is the difference between nonspecific and specific defences?

2) Summarize what’s happening in figure 35.3 (the inflammatory response)

3) Summarize what’s happening in figure 35.4 (action of complement)

4) From the reading, list some of the nonspecific defenses your body has and briefly state how they defend you from infection.

Thanks and see you tomorrow,

Mr. Hill

A Closer Look at Blood

Hi all,

Tomorrow we will be taking a closer look at the composition of our blood.  Blood is both a nutrient rich medium for bacteria and parasites to nourish themselves in and a route around the body for these little invaders.  Accordingly, blood is the place where your body has concentrated its defenses.  In the war between your body and its pathogens, the rivers of your veins and arteries are the battleground and your blood cells are the soldiers and citizens caught in the balance.  So its important to understand its parts!

Homework
Please read textbook pages 626-8 in your text and use the information within to answer the following questions in your notebook:

1. Create flash cards using our new system for words 2-6, all of which describe components of the blood.  The vocab words can be found on the right side of the blog, under "Vocabulary Heads-up."  Bring these with you tomorrow!

2. Referencing the components above, describe some of the transport functions of the blood.  How does your blood serve as a transport medium, what components are involved, and what is transported?

3. Now describe some of the immune functions of your blood.  What role does your blood play in defending your body from pathogens, what components are involved, and how?