Vaccination & Immunity
Biology: Cambridge International GCSE Supplement, topic 10.1.8
Vaccination
Vaccination is the main technique for helping the immune system recognise and destroy pathogens. Immunising (making immune) a large proportion of the population will make it very hard for a pathogen to be spread. The process of vaccination is:
Inject a dead pathogen
- A vaccination injects a dead or inactive form of a pathogen into the blood.
Immune system recognition
- White blood cells recognise that the antigens are foreign and produce antibodies against them.
Memory cells
- Some of these white blood cells called memory lymphocytes remain in the blood as memory cells. If the same pathogen invades the body again, the memory lymphocytes can:
- Produce antibodies faster.
- Produce more antibodies. This means that the antibody concentration remains in the blood for longer.
Immunity
- Next time the same pathogen infects the vaccinated person, the immune system will destroy it before it can cause illness.
Test yourself on Vaccination & Immunity
Which of the following are proven characteristics of vaccination?
Vaccination