There are two main terms which are applied to the immune system and they are specific and non-specific:
Non specific immunity refers to the action of structures and substances that are naturally present.
Specific immunity refers to immunity occurs in response to exposure to a particular antigen
In referring to vaccinations, vaccinations falls under the category of specific immune response because this reaction of a vaccine is not naturally present but self induced and a particular vaccine has a 'specific' role to play in targeting this pathogens not human body
Non specific immunity refers to the action of structures and substances that are naturally present.
Specific immunity refers to immunity occurs in response to exposure to a particular antigen
In referring to vaccinations, vaccinations falls under the category of specific immune response because this reaction of a vaccine is not naturally present but self induced and a particular vaccine has a 'specific' role to play in targeting this pathogens not human body
Figure 3
Similarities:
Differences:
Similarities:
- Both responses involve white blood cells
- Both responses have the mean of killing invading bacteria and parasites
Differences:
- The specific immune system is antigen specific and reacts only with the organism that made the response happen. Whereas the non specific system is not antigen specific and reacts equally well to a all types of organisms.
- The specific immune system has a memory of what pathogenic agents that it had encountered before in the past, where as the non specific has no recollection of the pathogenic agents