The human body’s immune system protects individuals against disease and fights against many of the dangers that the world presents. Immunity, in its different forms, is the defensive system of each person, which can either divert incoming disease or alleviate its symptoms once it starts. According to the video on the subject, there are at least four types of immunity working together in order to answer the body’s needs. Antibody-mediated immunity answers to pathogens by producing antibodies, which are capable of combatting threats (“Types of immune responses: Innate and adaptive, humoral vs. cell-mediated (video),” n.d.). Upon coming in contact with any antigens, the body starts producing antibodies, which are then effectively used to shut down the disease. The other three types of immunity are – Innate immunity, Adaptive immunity, and Passive immunity, each of which serves its own purpose (“Types of immune responses: Innate and adaptive, humoral vs. cell-mediated (video),” n.d.). Innate immunity is the type of immunity each person is born with, representing the general layer of protection against harm.
Adaptive immunity, on the other hand, develops slowly over time and assists people on their life journey. When an individual is exposed to diseases, either in the form of natural disease, or a vaccine, their adaptive immunity has the ability to prepare and build up its defensive systems over time. With the consistent improvement of adaptive immunity, humans become capable of surpassing their own limits of health. Passive immunity, lastly, is the type of immunity that functions temporarily. There are a number of influences that can give a person temporary resistance to illnesses, producing antibodies that dissipate over time. All of these systems combined work to help people move along the path of life and resist dangerous, crippling and life-threatening conditions that surround them.
References
Types of immune responses: Innate and adaptive, humoral vs. cell-mediated (video). (n.d.). Khan Academy.