Adaptive immune response

Definition

The adaptive immune response is a specific defense mechanism that the body employs to identify and combat specific pathogens, such as viruses or bacteria. Unlike the innate immune system, which responds generally to any threat, the adaptive system remembers past invaders and provides a stronger response upon subsequent encounters.

Related terms

Antigens:

Foreign substances or organisms that trigger an immune response by being recognized as non-self by the immune system.

Antibodies: Proteins produced by B cells in response to antigens, specifically designed to neutralize or mark pathogens for destruction.

Memory Cells: Long-lived immune cells that remember specific pathogens and mount a faster and stronger response during subsequent encounters with those pathogens