8A: Acquiring Immunity

Question 1

Natural Immunity:

Answer 1

protection against a disease formed without medical intervention

Question 2

Natural Active Immunity:

Answer 2

the person develops their own antibodies and memory cells

- Created when an individual's immune response encounters a pathogen and mounts a response  - creating antibodies and memory cells specific to it meaning the next time the same pathogen is encountered, it will be recognized and neutralized before it can cause disease

Question 3

Natural Passive Immunity:

Answer 3

antibodies created by an external source

Question 4

Methods to acquiring Natural Passive Immunity:

Answer 4

Breastfeeding:
- When babies ingest human breast milk, they also ingest some of the mothers antibodies to help them fight against pathogens

Placenta:
- During pregnancy, some of the mothers antibodies are able to cross the placenta and enter the foetus’ bloodstream via the umbilical cord helping compensate for its weak immune system

Question 5

Artificial Immunity:

Answer 5

protection against a disease formed as a result of medical intervention

 - Interacts with the immune system an can exist as many different types of molecules

Question 6

Artificial Active Immunity:

Answer 6

when an individuals own adaptive immune system develops antibodies and memory cells due to a medical intervention

- E.g. Vaccines
    - Vaccines contain weakened or deactivated forms of a pathogen so that it does not cause disease or harm but induces an adaptive immune response

Question 7

Vaccine Primary Immune Response:

Answer 7

• After receiving the first vaccination, there is a delay in the AIR as it takes time for it to recognize the complementary T helper cell and B cell with the antigen
  
  • Eventually B memory cells and a number of antibodies are formed however they quickly diminish over time

Question 8

Vaccine Secondary Immune Response:

Answer 8

• Upon receiving a second vaccination, the memory cells already created quickly recognise the antigen in the vaccine and mount a rapid immune response
• As a result, large numbers of antibodies and B memory cells are produced creating long lasting immunity

Question 9

Artificial Passive Immunity:

Answer 9

created when an individual acquires antibodies from an external source via a medical intervention

- E.g. People bitten by a snake are given antivenom containing antibodies to neutralise the venom
- Antibody treatments initially increase the number of antibodies, but over time they degrade until the immunity they created is gone - Due to them not creating memory cells, a person given only antibodies will not develop immunological memory

Question 10

Herd Immunity:

Answer 10

protection against a disease conferred to non-immune individuals when a high percentage of a population is immune to the same disease
Achieved through high vaccination rates(95%+)

Question 11

Booster Shot Immune Response

Answer 11

• Necessary as overtime memory B cells die which decreases a persons immunity
• by reintroducing the antigen, more B cells are produced to maintain immunity