Primary and Secondary Immune Response

Question 1

When does primary Response happen?

Answer 1

• T cells that recognise the specific antigen being presented by the dendtritic cell bind to the antigen
• it involves the B memory cells and T memory cells.

Question 2

What are the 3 main stages of the primary response?

Answer 2

• Helper T cells bind to the antigen on the B cells and release cytokines that stimulate the B cells.
• B cells undergo rapid profileration and differentiation into plasma and memory cells
• Immature B cells pick up the antigen on their surface and process it.

Question 3

Why is the primary response less effective?

Answer 3

• it encounters the pathogen for the first time in the immune system

Question 4

How do memory cells work?

Answer 4

• A low level of high- affinity antibodies - immunological memory

Question 5

When does the secondary response happen?

Answer 5

• the body is exposed to the same antigen again, these high affinity antibodies in the blood bind to the antigen
• This acts as a signal to the circulating cells that recognise the antigen quickly.

Question 6

What happens when the body is exposed to the same antigen again?

Answer 6

• The high affinity antibodies in the blood bind to the pathogen.

Question 7

Why are memory B and T cells activated more quickly?

Answer 7

• The antigen is already familiar to the immune system

Question 8

What are the differences between primary and secondary?

Answer 8

• In secondary response, the memory cells active more rapidly than the primary response as they are already familiar with the immune system
• In the secondary response, memory B cells profirelate and differentiate into plasma cells that produce high affinity antibodies in high affinity antibodies in higher concentration that are found in the primary response.