Vaccine
A vaccine will allow an organism's immune system to develop an active immunity against a certain pathogen. [1]
The vaccine will mimic the process of a natural infection however the organism will not experience the effects of being infected by the pathogen. [2]
In order to safely develop active immunity, the pathogen must first be altered in some way so that it will not be damaging to the target organism.
Processes that will render the pathogen harmless include;
- "Weakening, or "attenuating", the pathogen by growing it repeatedly to select a strain that's less dangerous – MMR vaccines are attenuated.
- Taking out the part of the pathogen that causes the immune response and using this in the vaccine –the Hib vaccine is made in this way.
- Using the toxin that the pathogen makes and inactivating it – this is how the tetanus vaccine is produced."[3]
The vaccine (altered pathogens) is then inserted into the target organism. Its Immune system will respond as the vaccine is seen as a threat. The immune response will behave naturally and the vaccine will be destroyed, however the Memory T and Memory B cells will remember the pathogen's antigen structure. [4]
This will allow a rapid immune response if the organism ever comes into contact with the pathogen again. [5]
References
- ↑ http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pages/how-vaccines-work.aspx, Introduction,Date Accessed - 27/11/2014
- ↑ http://www.vaccines.gov/more_info/work/ , Sub Title - How Vaccines Mimic Infection , Date Accessed - 27/11/2014
- ↑ http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pages/how-vaccines-work.aspx , Sub Title - How are vaccines made? , Date Accessed - 27/11/2014
- ↑ http://www.vaccines.gov/more_info/work/ , Sub Title - Clearing the Infection: Memory Cells and Natural Immunity , Date Accessed - 27/11/2014
- ↑ http://www.vaccines.gov/more_info/work/ , Sub Title - Clearing the Infection: Memory Cells and Natural Immunity , Date Accessed - 27/11/2014