UNIT 13: IMMUNITY AND VACCINATION

• Immunity is the ability of the body to defend itself against foreign

bodies and disease-causing micro-organisms.
• Immune system is he system that is responsible for defending the body
against diseases.
• Immunization is a process by which a person becomes protected
against a disease through vaccination.
• Vaccination is a way of protecting people against harmful diseases,
before they come into contact with them.
• Vaccine: is a weakened or killed microorganism that is put in the body
for stimulating the body's immune response against diseases.
• Vaccines help your body create protective antibodies that help it fight
infections.
13.1. Antibodies and Antigens
• An antigen is a foreign substance that enters your body. This can include
bacteria, viruses, fungi, allergens, venom and other various toxins.
• Antigens are present on the surface of the pathogens.
• An antibody is a protein produced by your immune system to attack and
fight off these antigens.
• An antibody a l so known as an immunoglobulin is a large Y-shaped
protein. It is produced mainly by plasma cells.
• It is used by the immune system to identify and neutralize pathogens such
as bacteria and viruses.
• The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the harmful agent, called an
antigen. The antibody then binds to this antigen.
• It means antibodies are specific to their antigens.
Structure of antibody and antigens
• There are two main types of antigens: foreign antigens and self-
antigens.
• Foreign antigens come from outside the body. All pathogens are
examples of foreign antigens.
• Ex: Viruses, bacteria and protozoa, and certain proteins in foods
• Self-antigens come from within the body.
• For example, a heart cell, a liver cell, and a kidney cell would all
contain self-antigens.
Antigen–antibody reaction
• An antigen and antibody reaction works like a lock and key mechanism.
• Antibodies themselves do not destroy antigens. They inactivate and tag
antigens for destruction by phagocytes.
• All antibodies form an antigen-antibody (immune) complex when they
combine with antigens.
Formation of an antigen-antibody complex
• Each antigen stimulates the production of a specific antibody. All
antibodies are Y-shaped.
• Each antibody has a site complementary to a certain antigen. This
means that each antibody can only bind to a specific antigen.
• The antibody wraps its two sites like a ‘lock’ around the ‘key’ of
the antigen sites to destroy it.
• Defensive mechanisms used by antibodies are: neutralization,
agglutination, precipitation and plasma complement system.
• Neutralization – antibodies bind to and block specific sites on
antigens; viruses and bacteria.
• This prevents antigens from binding to sites called receptors on
tissue cells. Phagocytes later destroy them.
• Agglutination – antibodies bind the same determinant on more
than one antigen. An example is when an antibody surrounds a
virus, such as one that causes influenza; it prevents it from
entering other body cells.
• Precipitation – soluble molecules are cross-linked into large
insoluble complex. After which they fall out of solution, and are
phagocytized.
• Plasma complement system- The antibodies coat infectious
bacteria and then white blood cells will complete the job by
engulfing the bacteria, destroying them, and then removing
them from the body.
13.2. Immune response
• Immune response refers to the process by which the body
recognizes and defends itself against bacteria, viruses and
substances that appear foreign and harmful.
• It is a collection of cells, tissues and molecules that protect the
body from numerous pathogens and toxins in our
environment.
• This defense against microbes has been divided into two general types of
reactions: a) Reactions of innate immunity. b) Reactions of adaptive
immunity.
a) Innate immunity
• Innate immunity also called nonspecific immunity is the body defense
system that one is born with. It protects against all antigens
• It consists of cells and proteins that are always present and ready to fight
microbes at the site of infection.
• The main components of the innate immune system are:
i. Physical epithelial barriers
ii. Phagocytic leukocytes
iii. Dendritic cells
iv. A special type of white blood cells called a natural killer (NK) cell
v. Circulating plasma proteins
b) Adaptive immunity
• Adaptive immune is the immunity that develops after exposure
to various antigens.
• The immune system includes certain types of white blood cells,
for example, lymphocytes.
• There are B and T types lymphocytes:
• The B cells produce antibodies that are used to attack invading
bacteria, viruses, and toxins.
• The T cells destroy the body's own cells that have themselves
been taken over by viruses or become cancerous.
• Once B cells and T cells are formed, a few of those cells will multiply and
provide "memory" for the immune system. This allows the immune system
to respond faster and more efficiently the next time an individual is exposed
to the same antigen.
Active immunity
• This immunity results from the production of antibodies by the immune
system in response to the presence of an antigen. Active immunity is either
natural or artificial.
➢ Naturally acquired active immunity- occurs when a person is exposed to a
living pathogen.
➢ Artificially acquired active immunity- is obtained after receiving a vaccine.
A vaccine stimulates a primary response against the antigen without
causing symptoms of the disease.
Passive immunity
• This immunity results from the production of antibodies by the
immune system in response to the presence of an antigen.
Passive immunity is either artificial or natural.
✓Artificially-acquired passive immunity is an immediate, but
short-term immunization provided by the injection of antibodies.

✓ Naturally acquired passive immunity occurs when antibodies

are passed from the pregnant mother into baby in the womb.
• Passive immunity for breast–fed infants
• Infants have passive immunity because they are born with antibodies that
are transferred through the placenta from their mothers.
• They also get some antibodies from the mother’s breast milk. These
antibodies disappear between ages 6 and 12 months.
13.3 Immunization and Autoimmunity
• Immunization is the process by which an immune response is triggered by
the administration of a vaccine towards an infectious disease.
• Small amounts of an antigen, such as dead viruses, are given to activate
immune system "memory".
• Autoimmunity is a condition whereby the immune system
attacks and kills own cell. Any disease that results from such an
immune response is termed an autoimmune disease.
• Complications from altered immune responses include:
i. Allergy or hypersensitivity
ii. Autoimmune disorders
iii. Immunodeficiency disorders
iv. Serum sickness
v. Transplant rejection
Type 1 diabetes
In diabetes type 1, the pancreas does not make insulin, because
the body's immune system attacks the islet cells in the pancreas
that make insulin.

Type 2 diabetes
In diabetes type 2, the pancreas makes less insulin than used to,
and your body becomes resistant to insulin.

Note: Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that helps

your body to decrease excess blood sugar.