NURS 365 NURSING SCIENCE LATEST
UPDATED (2025-2026) MIDTERM
EXAM STUDY GUIDE, (with all
information you need to pass)
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH
UNIVERSITY
, Comprehensive Content 10
Class 1 4
Class 2 3
Class 3 3
Class 4 13
Introduction to immune 2
Innate immunity 5
Adaptive immunity 6
Class 5 20
Infectious disease 5
Stress and disease 4
Countermeasures for infection 8
Immunodeficiencies 3
Class 6 17
Hypersensitivities 4
Wound healing 2
Alloimmunity and autoimmunity 4
Antiviral drugs 2
Antihistamines, glucocorticoids, anti-inflammatories 5
Total 60
New Content
Class 4
Introduction to the immune system
1. The two major lymphoid organs
● Bone marrow
● Thymus
*Secondary lymphoid organs are the spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils, adenoids, Peyer’s patch in the small
intestine, appendix
2. The cell types including cell surface markers, location, and functions
● Granulocytes CD66b+
o Neutrophils – important for phagocytosis + activation of bactericidal mechanisms
o Eosinophils – important for clearing parasites and allergies
killing of antibody-coated parasites
o Basophils – least abundant type, found in blood
promotion of allergic responses and augmentation of anti-parasitic immunity
● Monocytes - develop in bone marrow
o Dendritic cells – antigen presenting cells CD11c+
found in tissues (skin)
o Macrophages – important for phagocytosis CD14+
● Lymphocytes
o B cells – CD19 or CD20 plus surface receptor BCR
, Memory B cells
Plasma cells – makes antibodies
o T cells CD3+ plus surface receptor TCR
Cytotoxic T cells – kill tumor cells and virus infected cells CD8+
Helper T cells – help cells by making proteins/cytokines CD4+
o Natural Killer (NK) cells – kill tumor cells and virus infected cells CD56+ plus surface
receptor KIR
● Mast cells – important for wound healing and allergies + defense against pathogens
o TISSUE
o release preformed granules containing proteases and histamine
3. The breakdown of a WBC
● Average WBC is 4500 to 11000
● Differential includes
o Neutrophils 50 to 60%
o Band neutrophils 3 to 6%
o Lymphocytes 25 to 40%
o Monocytes 3 to 7%
o Eosinophils 0 to 3%
o Basophils 0 to 1%
Innate and adaptive immunity
1. Adaptive vs innate (know the general differences)
● The innate system is the immunity that we are born with, it does not develop over time
o There is a rapid onset during antigen exposure, but it does not distinguish among types of
antigens (but can distinguish from self and non-self)
o There is no enhanced response on second exposure, so there is no memory
o When necessary, it calls upon the adaptive immune system to finish the job
● The adaptive system develops over time
o The onset is antigen specific, so it is slower in terms of response times
o The cells of this system contain memory of previous exposures, so responses are
enhanced each time
2. Definition of an antigen
● Antigen: any substance capable of causing an immune response
3. Recognition of self and non-self
● The immune system normally responds to self and non-self, but maintains tolerance to self-
antigens
● A breakdown in tolerance refers to immune responses that are not beneficial and cause tissue
damage or death
UPDATED (2025-2026) MIDTERM
EXAM STUDY GUIDE, (with all
information you need to pass)
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH
UNIVERSITY
, Comprehensive Content 10
Class 1 4
Class 2 3
Class 3 3
Class 4 13
Introduction to immune 2
Innate immunity 5
Adaptive immunity 6
Class 5 20
Infectious disease 5
Stress and disease 4
Countermeasures for infection 8
Immunodeficiencies 3
Class 6 17
Hypersensitivities 4
Wound healing 2
Alloimmunity and autoimmunity 4
Antiviral drugs 2
Antihistamines, glucocorticoids, anti-inflammatories 5
Total 60
New Content
Class 4
Introduction to the immune system
1. The two major lymphoid organs
● Bone marrow
● Thymus
*Secondary lymphoid organs are the spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils, adenoids, Peyer’s patch in the small
intestine, appendix
2. The cell types including cell surface markers, location, and functions
● Granulocytes CD66b+
o Neutrophils – important for phagocytosis + activation of bactericidal mechanisms
o Eosinophils – important for clearing parasites and allergies
killing of antibody-coated parasites
o Basophils – least abundant type, found in blood
promotion of allergic responses and augmentation of anti-parasitic immunity
● Monocytes - develop in bone marrow
o Dendritic cells – antigen presenting cells CD11c+
found in tissues (skin)
o Macrophages – important for phagocytosis CD14+
● Lymphocytes
o B cells – CD19 or CD20 plus surface receptor BCR
, Memory B cells
Plasma cells – makes antibodies
o T cells CD3+ plus surface receptor TCR
Cytotoxic T cells – kill tumor cells and virus infected cells CD8+
Helper T cells – help cells by making proteins/cytokines CD4+
o Natural Killer (NK) cells – kill tumor cells and virus infected cells CD56+ plus surface
receptor KIR
● Mast cells – important for wound healing and allergies + defense against pathogens
o TISSUE
o release preformed granules containing proteases and histamine
3. The breakdown of a WBC
● Average WBC is 4500 to 11000
● Differential includes
o Neutrophils 50 to 60%
o Band neutrophils 3 to 6%
o Lymphocytes 25 to 40%
o Monocytes 3 to 7%
o Eosinophils 0 to 3%
o Basophils 0 to 1%
Innate and adaptive immunity
1. Adaptive vs innate (know the general differences)
● The innate system is the immunity that we are born with, it does not develop over time
o There is a rapid onset during antigen exposure, but it does not distinguish among types of
antigens (but can distinguish from self and non-self)
o There is no enhanced response on second exposure, so there is no memory
o When necessary, it calls upon the adaptive immune system to finish the job
● The adaptive system develops over time
o The onset is antigen specific, so it is slower in terms of response times
o The cells of this system contain memory of previous exposures, so responses are
enhanced each time
2. Definition of an antigen
● Antigen: any substance capable of causing an immune response
3. Recognition of self and non-self
● The immune system normally responds to self and non-self, but maintains tolerance to self-
antigens
● A breakdown in tolerance refers to immune responses that are not beneficial and cause tissue
damage or death
