See Also: Acquired Immunity(medicine)
Acquired immunity(health)
immunity, maternally-acquired(medicine)
Herbal medicine (botanical medicine, herbology, phytomedicine)(health)
Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital- Medicine Lodge(health)
immunity(dictionary)
IMMUNITY(law)
Immunity(health)
Immunity(money)
Immunity(medicine)

Acquired Immunity (medicine)


acquired immunity
<immunology> A form of cellular defense which identifies certain foreign substances (antigens) as harmful to the body. For this reason, the body can acquire resistance to a particular foreign agent.

These foreign agents are then attacked by sensitised T lymphocytes (cellular immunity). White blood cells, plasma cells, B lymphocytes and other specialised immune system cells act in concert with T lymphocytes to produce antibodies (humoral immunity) that attach to the antigen directing T-cells to attack.

Antibodies also stimulate the release of special chemical mediators in the blood (for example complement, interferon) that further enhance antigen destruction.