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Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B
Answer Key
SECTION 1. PATHOGENS AND
SECTION 2. IMMUNE SYSTEM
HUMAN ILLNESS
1. The body system that protects the body from
12. releasing toxic chemicals
infection
13. reproducing in body cells, causing them to
2. skin—physically blocks pathogens from
stop their activities
entering; mucus membrane—traps
14. taking nutrients from body cells
pathogens so they cannot enter through the
15. taking nutrients from body cells
nose or mouth; circulatory system—
16. taking nutrients from the host
transports white blood cells to the infection
17. direct contact
site
18. Students’ answers may include: shaking
3. Basophil cells release chemicals that attract
hands, kissing, sexual intercourse, breast
phagocytes to the infection site.
feeding
4. They fight infection by causing pathogens to
19. indirect contact
clump, by making them ineffective, or by
20. Students’ answers may include: touching an
activating complement proteins.
infected surface, inhaling a pathogen in the
5. passive immunity
air, a vector
6. DNA
21. pathogen
7. genetic immunity
22. transmits a disease from one host to another
8. mother’s milk
9. inherited immunity
10. active immunity
11. a pathogen enters the body
12. getting sick by the same pathogen
13. Students’ answers will vary.
14. A phagocyte is a cell that eats other cells.

SECTION 3. IMMUNE RESPONSES

1. Specific responses are unique for every
pathogen. Nonspecific responses are the
same for every pathogen.
2. redness, swelling, itching, burning; causes
leaky blood vessels which allow white blood
cells to squeeze out of the circulatory system
and toward the infection site
3. increased body temperature; causes white
blood cells to mature faster
4. The immune system detects antigens.

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Holt McDougal Biology i Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B
Name________________________________Class____________________Date____________________

Study Guide B continued

5. Memory cells are the cells that respond

SECTION 5. OVERREACTIONS OF
quickly when a pathogen invades a second
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
time.
1. antigens
Y Diagram: Humoral Immunity—students’
2. They produce histamines and chemicals
answers may include: T cells destroy
which cause inflammation.
infected cell; memory T cells produced;
4. The immune system destroys cells in the
phagocyte activates T cell. Cellular
pancreas. The pancreas stops producing
Immunity—students’ answers may include:
insulin, a chemical that breaks down sugars.
antibodies; T cells activate B cells; memory
5. by lessening effects or slowing the
B cells produced. Both—Students’ answers
progression of the disease
may include: memory cells produced; T
6. a disease in which the immune system
cells important; phagocytes important;
attacks its own body cells
produces active immunity.
7. an immune response that is triggered by
8. antigen on pathogens that have invaded
something that is not a pathogen
previously
8. swollen airways, difficulty breathing, poor
10. Antigens are proteins on a pathogen, and
circulation
pathogens destroy living cells.
SECTION 6. DISEASES THAT
SECTION 4. IMMUNITY AND
WEAKEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
TECHNOLOGY
Leukemia: abnormal white blood cells 
1. outside of the body
cannot mature  producing other blood
2. soap
cells  fight off pathogens
3. vinegar
1. sharing needles, sexual intercourse, from a
4. rubbing alcohol
mother to her unborn baby through the
5. inside of the body
umbilical cord
6. weakening cell membranes
HIV Infection: T cells  reproduce HIV;
7. antibiotic resistance
start dying  replace the dying T cells 
8. mutation of pathogens so that they are no
infect the body  AIDS
longer affected by antibiotics
2. human immunodeficiency virus; the immune
9. A substance that can produce active
system has a deficiency
immunity
3. acquired immune deficiency syndrome; a
10. produce memory cells
syndrome is a condition or a disease
11. Memory cells do not need to be activated to
4. A pathogen that causes an opportunistic
fight pathogens. They work right away.
infection causes disease whenever there is
12. dead, whole pathogens; weak pathogens;
an opportunity, in this case, a weak immune
pieces of dead pathogens; bacterial toxins
system.
13. Antiseptics are chemicals that destroy
disease-causing particles that are outside of
the body.
14. An antibiotic resistant bacterium is one that
opposes antibiotics and can survive in their
presence.

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Holt McDougal Biology ii Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B
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Section 1: Pathogens and Human Illness

Study Guide B
KEY CONCEPT
Germs cause many diseases in humans.

VOCABULARY
germ theory pathogen vector

MAIN IDEA: THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PATHOGENS.

Fill in the chart to take notes on the different types of pathogens.

Pathogen Causes Disease By:

12. bacteria
13. viruses
14. fungi
15. protozoa

16. parasites

MAIN IDEA: PATHOGENS CAN ENTER THE BODY IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

Use the concept map to take notes on how pathogens spread.

18.
17.
examples
spread by

Pathogens
spread by 20.
19.
examples

Vocabulary Check
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Holt McDougal Biology 3 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 1: Pathogens and Human Illness
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21. Something that causes disease is called a ______________________________
22. A vector is something that _________________________________________

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Holt McDougal Biology 4 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 1: Pathogens and Human Illness
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Section 2: Immune System

Study Guide
KEY CONCEPT
The immune system consists of organs, cells, and molecules that fight infections.

VOCABULARY
immune system B cell passive immunity
phagocyte antibody active immunity
T cell interferon

MAIN IDEA: MANY BODY SYSTEMS PROTECT YOU FROM PATHOGENS.

1. What is the immune system?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. For each, describe how it helps the immune system by protecting the body
from pathogens.

Tissue or Body
System How It Protects the Body from Infection
skin

mucus membrane

circulatory system

MAIN IDEA: CELLS AND PROTEINS FIGHT THE BODY’S INFECTIONS.

3. How do basophil cells react when a pathogen enters the body?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. What are three ways that antibodies help fight infection?
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________________________________________________________________

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Holt McDougal Biology 5 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 2: Immune System
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Study Guide B continued

MAIN IDEA: IMMUNITY PREVENTS A PERSON FROM GETTING SICK FROM

A PATHOGEN.
Fill in the blanks in the concept map to take notes on the differences between
active and passive immunity.

Immunity
types

5. 10.

transferred occurs when

6. 8. 11.
prevents a
person from
also called also called

12.
7. 9.

Vocabulary Check
13. Come up with a way to remember the difference between B cells and T cells.
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14. The word phagocyte comes from two Greek words: phago- means “to eat” and
-cyte means cell. How can this help you remember the definition of the word
phagocyte?
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Holt McDougal Biology 6 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 2: Immune System
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Section 3: Immune Responses

Study Guide B
KEY CONCEPT
The immune system has many responses to pathogens and foreign cells.

VOCABULARY
inflammation memory cell humoral immunity
antigen cellular immunity tissue rejection

MAIN IDEA: MANY BODY SYSTEMS WORK TO PRODUCE NONSPECIFIC

RESPONSES.
1. What is the difference between a specific immune response and a nonspecific
immune response?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

In the table, write the characteristics of each of the nonspecific immune

responses. Then, in the third column, explain how this nonspecific response helps
the immune system to fight off infections.

How It Helps the Immune

Nonspecific Response Characteristics System
2. inflammation

3. fever

MAIN IDEA: CELLS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM PRODUCE SPECIFIC

RESPONSES.
4. How does the immune system know if a foreign particle has infected the
body?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. What is the role of memory cells in providing acquired immunity?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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Holt McDougal Biology 7 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 3: Immune Responses
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Study Guide B continued

Using Figures 3.3 and 3.4, write the differences for each type of immunity on the
right or left side of the Y diagram below. Then, write the similarities on the bottom
of the Y.

Humoral Immunity Cellular Immunity

Both

MAIN IDEA: THE IMMUNE SYSTEM REJECTS FOREIGN TISSUES.

Vocabulary Check
8. What do memory cells remember?
________________________________________________________________

10. The prefix anti- means “destroying” and, the suffix -gen means “something
that produces or lives.” How can this help you remember the definition for the
word antigen?
________________________________________________________________

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Holt McDougal Biology 8 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 3: Immune Responses
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Section 4: Immunity and Technology

Study Guide
KEY CONCEPT
Living in a clean environment and building immunity helps to keep a person
healthy.

VOCABULARY
antiseptic antibiotic resistance vaccine

MAIN IDEA: MANY METHODS ARE USED TO CONTROL PATHOGENS.

Use the concept map to take notes on the different technologies that have been
developed to destroy pathogens.

Technology to fight pathogens

types

antiseptics antibiotics
kills pathogens
found
kills pathogens
found kills
5. pathogens
by overuse
can
1. examples cause

6.

2. 4.
7.

which is
3.
8.

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Holt McDougal Biology 9 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 4: Immunity and Technology
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Study Guide B continued

MAIN IDEA: VACCINES ARTIFICIALLY PRODUCE ACQUIRED IMMUNITY.

9. What is a vaccine?
________________________________________________________________
10. What do vaccines do that allow the body to gain immunity without ever
getting sick?
________________________________________________________________
11. Why does a person who has memory cells for a pathogen not get sick, while a
person without memory cells for a pathogen will get sick?
________________________________________________________________
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12. What are four different things vaccines can be made of?
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Vocabulary Check
13. The word antiseptic comes from the prefix anti-, which means “destroying,”
and the word septic, which means “disease-causing.” How can these words
help you to remember what an antiseptic is?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
14. How can the meaning of the word resistance help you remember what an
antibiotic resistant bacterium is?
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________________________________________________________________

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Holt McDougal Biology 10 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 4: Immunity and Technology
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Section 5: Overreactions of the Immune System

Study Guide
KEY CONCEPT
An overactive immune system can make the body very unhealthy.

VOCABULARY
allergy allergen anaphylaxis

MAIN IDEA: ALLERGIES OCCUR WHEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM RESPONDS

TO HARMLESS ANTIGENS.
1. What triggers an allergic reaction?
________________________________________________________________
2. What do white blood cells do that causes an allergic reaction?
________________________________________________________________

MAIN IDEA: IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, WHITE BLOOD CELLS ATTACK

THE BODY’S HEALTHY CELLS.
4. What are two things that occur when a person has Type 1 diabetes?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. How do medications help people with autoimmune diseases?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Vocabulary Check
6. The suffix auto- means “self.” How can this help you to remember what an
autoimmune disease is?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. What is the difference between the word allergy and the word allergen?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. What symptoms does a person have if they are experiencing anaphylaxis?
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Holt McDougal Biology 11 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 6: Diseases that Weaken the Immune System
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Holt McDougal Biology 12 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 6: Diseases that Weaken the Immune System
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Section 6: Diseases that Weaken the Immune System

Study Guide
KEY CONCEPT
When the immune system is weakened, the body cannot fight off diseases.

VOCABULARY
human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)
opportunistic infection acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS)

MAIN IDEA: HIV TARGETS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.

1. What are three examples of the ways HIV can be passed from person to
person?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Use the flow chart to explain how HIV infection leads to AIDS.

HIV
Virus infects... T cells...
infection

Bone marrow cannot... Opportunistic diseases... AIDS

Vocabulary Check
2.HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. The second word contains the
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Holt McDougal Biology 13 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 6: Diseases that Weaken the Immune System
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root words immune and deficiency. How can these two words help you to
remember the definition of HIV?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. What does AIDS stand for, and how does the last word, beginning with “s,”
help you to remember that it is a disease and not a virus?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. How does the word opportunity help you remember the definition of
opportunistic infection?
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Holt McDougal Biology 14 Immune System and Disease

Study Guide B Section 6: Diseases that Weaken the Immune System