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Ch. 17 - Adaptive Immunity: Specific Defenses of the Host
Tortora - Microbiology: An Introduction 14th Edition
Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksTortora 14th EditionCh. 17 - Adaptive Immunity: Specific Defenses of the HostProblem 8
Chapter 17, Problem 8

Explain why a person who recovers from a disease can attend others with the disease without fear of contracting it.

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Understand that when a person recovers from a disease, their immune system has been exposed to the pathogen responsible for that disease.
During the infection, the immune system produces specific antibodies and memory cells that recognize and respond quickly to the pathogen if it enters the body again.
These memory cells provide long-lasting immunity by enabling the immune system to mount a faster and stronger response upon re-exposure to the same pathogen.
Because of this immune memory, the recovered person is generally protected from reinfection by the same disease-causing organism.
Therefore, the recovered person can safely attend to others with the disease without fear of contracting it again, as their immune system effectively prevents the pathogen from causing illness.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Immunity Development

When a person recovers from a disease, their immune system has produced specific antibodies and memory cells against the pathogen. This immune memory allows the body to recognize and respond quickly to future exposures, preventing reinfection or reducing disease severity.
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Adaptive Immune Response

The adaptive immune response involves the activation of lymphocytes that target specific pathogens. After initial infection, these cells remain in the body, providing long-term protection by rapidly neutralizing the pathogen upon re-exposure.
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Herd Immunity and Exposure Risk

Recovered individuals often have reduced susceptibility to the disease, lowering their risk of contracting it again. This concept also contributes to herd immunity, where immune individuals help limit disease spread within a population.
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1) Exposure to Pathogen
Related Practice
Textbook Question

How would each of the following prevent infection?

a. Antibodies against Neisseria gonorrhoeae fimbriae

b. Antibodies against host cell mannose

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Textbook Question

How can a human make 100 billion different antibodies with only 25,000 different genes?

5
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Textbook Question

Match the following choices to the statements in questions 5–7:

a. IgA

b. IgD

c. IgE

d. IgG

e. IgM

The first antibodies synthesized; especially effective against microorganisms.

3
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Textbook Question

A kidney-transplant patient experienced a cytotoxic rejection of the new kidney. Place the following in order for that rejection:

(1) apoptosis occurs

(2) CD8⁺ T cell becomes CTL

(3) granzymes released

(4) MHC class I activates CD8⁺ T cell

(5) perforin released

a. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

b. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

c. 4, 2, 5, 3, 1

d. 3, 4, 5, 1, 2

e. 2, 3, 4, 1, 5

3
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Textbook Question

Match the following choices to the statements in questions 5–7:

a. IgA

b. IgD

c. IgE

d. IgG

e. IgM

Antibodies that are bound to mast cells and involved in allergic reactions.

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Textbook Question

Put the following in the correct sequence to elicit an antibody response:

(1) TH cell produces cytokines

(2) B cell contacts antigen

(3) antigen fragment goes to surface of the B cell

(4) TH recognizes antigen fragment and MHC

(5) B cell proliferates.

a. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

b. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

c. 3, 4, 5, 1, 2

d. 2, 3, 4, 1, 5

e. 4, 5, 3, 1, 2

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