Review Words for Immune System Test
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Immune Response: recognizes antigen on pathogen and produces antibodies to
fight it off
Antigen: protein that identifies the pathogen or donated organ as being foreign
Antibodies: produced by White Blood Cells, specific to antigens
Pathogen: disease causing organism, microbe, virus, bacteria, fungus, parasite
Active Immunity
o Body makes antibodies
o Ex: vaccine, getting sick with the live pathogen
o Long lasting immunity
Passive Immunity
o Antibodies are given to the individual (body does not make them)
o Ex: mother to child (breast milk), injection of antibodies
o Short term immunity
Vaccine: dead/weakened pathogen is injected (pathogen still has the foreign
antigen on it), vaccine is specific to the disease- body will produce antibodies
against that disease
White Blood Cells: Lymphocytes, produce antibodies
HIV/AIDS: virus, weakens immune system (destroys WBC’s)
Immunity: An individual will not get the disease even if they come in contact
with it.
Allergies: reaction to a harmless substance, releases histamine which causes
symptoms
Organ transplants: rejection (antibodies produced) because sees the antigen on
the organ as foreign.
Immunosuppressant drugs: weakens the immune system so will not have an
immune response (produce antibodies), prevents rejection of an organ