BRAINCAKEVaccination
A vaccine produces an immune response to the pathogen by introducing the antigen in a harmless form into the body. This reduces the chance of the individual contracting the disease. The individual can still get an infection but they will suffer few or no symptoms because the secondary immune response is faster and stronger.
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Key terms in this lesson
- pathogen
- A microorganism, such as a virus, bacterium, fungus or protoctist, that causes disease.
- antigen
- A protein or glycoprotein, usually on a cell surface, that is recognised as foreign by the immune system and triggers an immune response.
- herd immunity
- Protection of a population against a pathogen achieved when a sufficiently high proportion of the population is immune, reducing its spread.
More in Cell Recognition and the Immune System
- Pregnancy Testing
- Ethics
- Producing Monoclonal Antibodies
- Active, Passive, Natural and Artificial Immunity
- Herd Immunity
- Vaccination Programme Failure
- Ethics
- MMR Vaccine Case Study
All 30 lessons in Cell Recognition and the Immune System · All AQA AS-level Biology topics