Question
Classify immunity. Describe acquired immunity with examples (2+4)
Q6 6 marks Short Essays ★ ✓
Answer
Classification of immunity
Innate (natural/non-specific) immunity — present from birth, non-specific, no memory generated; includes physical barriers (skin, mucosa), phagocytic cells, complement, and natural killer cells.
Acquired (adaptive/specific) immunity — develops after exposure to a specific antigen, highly specific, generates immunological memory; further subdivided into:
Active immunity — the individual’s own immune system produces the response.
Natural active — following actual infection.
Artificial active — following vaccination.
Passive immunity — pre-formed antibody is transferred to the individual (no active response generated).
Natural passive — maternal antibody transfer (IgG across placenta; IgA via colostrum/breast milk).
Artificial passive — administration of immunoglobulin/antiserum (e.g., tetanus immunoglobulin, anti-snake venom serum).
Acquired immunity, described with examples :
Active immunity develops slowly (days to weeks after exposure) but is long-lasting , since it involves the generation of memory B and T lymphocytes capable of a rapid, strong secondary response on re-exposure to the same antigen.
Natural active example : a person who has recovered from chickenpox develops long-lasting (often lifelong) immunity against subsequent varicella infection.
Artificial active example : administration of the measles vaccine , stimulating the immune system to generate a protective antibody/memory response without the individual experiencing the actual disease.
Passive immunity provides immediate protection since pre-formed antibody is directly administered/transferred, but the protection is short-lived (weeks), and no memory is generated since the individual’s own immune system was never stimulated to respond.
Natural passive example : transfer of maternal IgG antibody across the placenta to the fetus, providing the newborn temporary protection against infections the mother is immune to during the first few months of life.
Artificial passive example : administration of tetanus immunoglobulin (TIG) to a patient with a contaminated wound and uncertain/incomplete tetanus vaccination history, providing immediate protection while active immunization is initiated simultaneously.
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