Paper I
2023 January (Supplementary) (2019 Scheme) · 100 marks · 180 min

Question

What is the role of memory cells in immune response.

Q191 marks

Answer

Memory cells (memory B cells and memory T cells) are long-lived lymphocytes generated after a primary immune response, persisting after the initial infection/antigen exposure has resolved. On re-exposure to the same antigen, memory cells mount a faster, stronger, and more effective secondary immune response than the original primary response, since they are already primed/expanded and do not require the full clonal-selection process from naive lymphocytes — this is the immunological basis of long-term protective immunity and the rationale underlying vaccination.

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