Question

Differentiate between innate and acquired immunity.

Hint:

Innate immunity is like a general security guard (protects against everything), whereas Acquired immunity is like a specialized detective (targets specific criminals).

Answer 1

Step 1: Innate Immunity is the first line of defense. It includes physical barriers (skin), physiological barriers (stomach acid), cellular barriers (WBCs), and cytokine barriers (interferons).
Step 2: Acquired Immunity is the second line of defense developed during an individual's lifetime. It involves specialized B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes.
Step 3: A key difference is "memory": Acquired immunity remembers a pathogen so that a second encounter triggers a highly intensified (secondary/anamnestic) response.