Vaccines

Question 1

What is a vaccine?

Answer 1

contains antigens to stimulate an immune response

could be from a dead/attenuated pathogen

mRNA vaccine - codes for antigen and makes immune response

Question 2

What do vaccines do?

Answer 2

antigen is displayed on the surface of antigen presenting cells e.g. phagocytes
specific t cells with complimentary receptor binds to the presented antigen
activates bcells with complimentary antibody
b cells form many cloans (divide by mitosis to make more plasma cells)
plasma cells make antibodies
some t cells and b cells develop into memory cells

Question 3

What happens when vaccines stimulate primary immune response and secondary response?

Answer 3

when a pathogen infects us, we will already have the t cells and memory b cells

go through secondary immune response

dont feel symptoms

vaccines are artificial active immunity

injected (not taken orally) - stomach acid and digestive enzymes will hydrolyse the antigen and too large to be absorbed