Preview

The Evolution and Mechanism of Immunological Memory and Its Impact on Immunology Research.

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3433 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Evolution and Mechanism of Immunological Memory and Its Impact on Immunology Research.
The Evolution and Mechanism of Immunological Memory and its Impact on Immunology Research.

Recently, the Center for Disease and Control reported that it has discovered a super bug, a bacteria, that has the capability of resisting almost any antibiotic known to human. In addition to resisting antibiotics, these superbugs are deadly. Not only do the bugs cause death to half of the patients with serious infectious diseases, but they also spread their genes that make the bugs resistant to other bacteria cells (USA TODAY, 2013). This class of superbugs is known as carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Currently, CRE are found mainly in hospitals and nursing homes. However, if these bacteria escape into the environment, the results can be devastating. For instance, the bacteria may cause small diseases, such as the common cold, to become untreatable because the CRE alters the small disease genetics in a way where it is resistant to vaccination and other medicines (USA TODAY, 2013).
Although this type of bacteria is new and deadly, it is not the first time that the world has encountered something similar to CRE. For instance, Staphylococcus aureus is one of the well-known examples of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. One reason doctors use antibiotics is because bacteria are often resistant to the immune system of a body. The resistance of bacteria to the immune system is due to natural selection and genetic mutation. Because bacteria reproduce at a rapid rate, some bacteria that contain the adaptive, resistant traits survive and reproduce offspring that contains the resistant genes. They produce immune-resistant genes through genetic mutation. The alteration made by the genetic mutation can create a trait that is resistant to the immune system. As a result, the genetically mutated bacteria will be able to reproduce without interference from the host’s defense system.
As a powerful tool that the body uses to protect itself from pathogens and



Cited: 1. Flajnik and Hasahara, Martin F., and Masanori Kasahara. "Origin and Evolution of the Adaptive Immune System: Genetic Events and Selective Pressures." Nature Reviews Genetics 11.1 (2009): 47-59. Print. 2. Flynn, JoAnne L. "Immunology of Tuberculosis and Implications in Vaccine Development." Tuberculosis 84.1-2 (2004): 93-101. Print 3. Kurtz, Joachim. "Memory in the Innate and Adaptive Immune Systems." Microbes and Infection 6.15 (2004): 1410-417. Print 4. Lee, Yun Kyung, and Sarkis K. Mazmanian. "Has the Microbiota Played a Critical Role in the Evolution of the Adaptive Immune System?" Science 330 (2012): 1768-773. Print.Kurtz, Joachim. 5. McMichael, Andrew J., Persephone Borrow, Georgia D. Tomaras, Nilu Goonetilleke, and Barton F. Haynes. "The Immune Response during Acute HIV-1 Infection: Clues for Vaccine Development." Nature Reviews Immunology 10.1 (2009): 11-23. Print. 6. Sompayrac, Lauren. How the Immune System Works. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2008. Print 7. USA TODAY. "CDC Sounds Alarm on Deadly, Untreatable Superbugs." USA TODAY. N.p., 5 Mar. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2013. 8. Wu, Baojun, and Tianxiao Huan. "Domain Combination of the Vertebrate-like TLR Gene Family: Implications for Their Origin and Evolution." Journal of Genetics 90.3 (2011): 401-08. Print

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    BIO 104 Chapter 3

    • 7229 Words
    • 29 Pages

    Today, more than 90% of Staphyloccocus aureus strains are resistant to the antibiotic that once conquered this common microbe. (For more on antibiotic-resistant bacteria, see Chapter 14.) Today, more than 90% of Staphylococcus aureus strains are resistant to the antibiotic that once conquered this common microbe. Because of the alarming growth in antibioticresistant superbugs, drug companies and researchers are trying to develop new antibiotics. One strategy they employ is to tweak the chemical structure of existing antibiotics just enough that a bacterium cannot disable it.…

    • 7229 Words
    • 29 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mayer, G. (n.d.). Innate or non-specific immunity. Redirect to New Biomedical graduate page. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/ghaffar/innate.htm…

    • 1275 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ivana

    • 525 Words
    • 2 Pages

    For the case of the EBV, a person’s innate immunity in a way preps for acquired (adaptive) immunity.…

    • 525 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Study Guide Ch. 15, 16, 17

    • 2169 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Adaptive immunity (p.446): The body’s ability to recognize and defend itself against distinct invaders and their products.…

    • 2169 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sordaria Lab Report

    • 2295 Words
    • 10 Pages

    References: Cyr, R. 2002. Overview, Life and Natural Selection. In, Biology 110: Basic concepts and biodiverity course website. Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University. http://www.bio.psu.edu/…

    • 2295 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Survival of the Sickest is a novel written by Dr. Sharon Moelem in which he gives an interesting take on disease and its effects on evolution. The book explains eight different cases, each detailing an example of a disease that is considered an evolutionary adaptation to help populations survive disease. The cases reveal and explain in depth connections that you would not normally make about why certain diseases arose and are still prevalent. These conditions we now consider diseases are the things that saved people from being killed by highly contagious illnesses that killed thousands and even millions, including the plague and tuberculosis. One case discussed hemochromatosis and how the disease was a survival tool for people in the 1300s…

    • 159 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Clostridium Perfringens

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages

    society could prevent this deadly strain of bacteria from multiplying and becoming a problem. Since the…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Anatomy Study Guide

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Compare and contrast the origin, maturation process, and general function of B and T lymphocytes.…

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Antibiotic resistance occurs when there are a lot of germs and a few drug resistant germs.…

    • 1390 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mrsa Thesis Statement

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Attention Getting Device: Did you know that some bacteria can adapt to the antibiotics that your doctor prescribes to you and can become Resistant to that certain antibiotic.…

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Superbug Research Paper

    • 1135 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Any species of bacteria can turn into a superbug. A superbug is a strain of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics. According to webmd.com "Every year, about 2 million people get sick from a superbug, according to the CDC. About 23,000 die. Earlier this year, an outbreak of CRE (carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae) linked to contaminated medical tools sickened 11 people at two Los-Angeles area hospitals. Two people died, and more than 200 others may have been exposed." This has become a serious problem and is sweeping the nation with fear. Although people may think that they won't get it there is some simple ways to get a superbug. One of the many known factors is misusing your antibiotics. This means that you take either take…

    • 1135 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Adaptive immunity: Involves the production of a specific lymphocyte or antibody against a specific antigen…

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Biology Stuff

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Bacteria experience mutations (the reproduce very frequently so it is not rare.) These mutations can mean that they are no longer affected by a certain antibiotic, this makes it easier for them to survive. If bacteria evolve to be resistant to drugs we are treating them with then they are difficult to control; sometimes they can be stopped using a different antibiotic, but some are becoming resistant to all the drugs that we know of...…

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Defending Slavery

    • 2485 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Steel, Mike; Penny, David . "Origins of life: Common ancestry put to the test". Nature 465…

    • 2485 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Evolutionary Medicine

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages

    With antibiotic resistance and susceptibility, the E. Coli bacteria become resistant or susceptible due to the evolutionary principles of genetic drift, mutation, and natural selection. The spread of Tuberculosis involved a great deal of genetic drift because of all the different populations that had spread the infection around the world. Lastly, the development of cancer involves mutations, which is one of the most important things to understand about how cancer develops. It is so important to understand that evolutionary biology plays a role in so many different aspects of the medical field, and in order to help find cures for different illnesses or disorders it is important to look at the evolutionary side of things before jumping to any…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics