Active and Passive Immuntiy

• what can immunity be?

  active or passiv
• what is active immunity?

  the type of immunity you get when your immune system makes it own antibodies after being stimulated by an antigen
• What are the two differet types of active immunity ?

  natural

  artificial
• what is natural active immunity?


  this is when you become immune after catching a disease
• what iss artificial active immunity?

  this is when you become immune after you have been given a vaccination containing a harmless dose of antigen
• what is passive immunity?


  the type of immunity you get from being given antibodies made by a different organism- your immune system doesn't produce any antibodies of its own
• what are the two types of passive immunity?

  natural and artificial
• what is natural passive immunity?


  This is when a baby becomes immune due to antibodies it receives from its mother, through the placenta and in breast milk
• what is artificial passive immunity?


  this is when you become immune after being injected with antibodies from someone else eg if you contract tetanus you can be injected with antibodies against the tetanus toxic, collected from blood donations
• give 4 characteristics of active immunity?

  • Requires exposure to antigen
  • It takes a while for protection to develop
  • Memory cells are produced
  • Protection is long-term because the antibody is produced (after activation of memory cells) in response to complementary antigen being present in the body
• give 4 characteristics of passive immunity?


  • Doesn't require exposure to antigen
  • Protection is immediate
  • Memory cells are NOT produced
  • Protection is short-term because the antibodies given are broken down