Question
(b) A person was injected with a vaccine. A few weeks later the person was exposed to the pathogen they had been immunised against. The graph shows how the concentration of antibodies in the blood changed after injection of the vaccine and after exposure to the pathogen. (i) Describe in detail the differences between antibody production after the was exposed the pathogen __ (1)
Answer
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Geoffrey
Master · Tutor for 5 years
Answer
The antibody production after the injection of the vaccine is characterised by an immediate rise in concentration, suggesting active response to the 'foreign' components introduced via the vaccine i.e., synthetic, weakened, or inactivated pathogens. After peaking, the antibodies levels decline gradually, indicating degradation over time likely due to them not having a genuine pathogen to mobilize against.After the subsequent exposure to the pathogen, the concentration of the antibodies in the blood significantly skyrockets compared to first-time depicted during vaccination. This high surge of antibodies is due to the activation of immune memory cells initiated after the exposure to the vaccine, which allows the body supposed to quickly furnish an acute immune response by promptly producing large amounts of antibodies. These antibodies efficiently help the body fight the pathogen they got immunised against. Furthermore, subsequent to this massive peak, the rate at which antibody concentration shrinks is slower indicating an active, sustained battle against the threatening pathogen. Indeed, vaccines leverage the body's natural defences to build resistance to specific infections and armour the immune strength of the body.
Explanation
## Step1:Observe the information provided by the graph. Compare and assess the unique characteristics portrayed throughout the different moments post-vaccine injection and the subsequent exposure to the pathogen.## Step2:From our knowledge of biology, vaccines provide immune support by exposing our bodies to a harmless version of the pathogen, allowing our immune system to familiarize itself with the pathogen and build a tactical defense strategy, which primarily involves the production of antibodies. Once the body is exposed to the actual pathogen later, the memory part of our immune system 'recalls' the intruder and initially utilizes the stock of antibodies prepared during vacciation to fight the disease.## Step3:Provide descriptive differences of the stages post-vaccine and post-pathogen exposure exhibiting characteristics aligned with the objectives these stages respectively aim for based on their biological features and ramifications.