Question

People administered with preformed antibodies get -
(a) Active immunity
(b) Innate immunity
(c) Natural immunity
(d) Passive immunity

Answer 1

People who are administered preformed antibodies induce an artificial form of immunity. This immunity is provided to the individual when the risk of infection is high and the time for the body to develop an immune response on its own is low. An example of this immunization is the tetanus vaccine.

Complete answer:
- People who are administered preformed antibodies get passive immunity. It is the transfer of active humoral immunity through these readymade antibodies.
- Protection offered by passive immunity is short-lived, lasting for most weeks or months, but it provides immediate action against the targeted foreign bodies.
- Passive immunity is of two types: natural and artificial. Natural immunity is acquired by newborn infants through the placenta and through the consumption of their mother’s breast milk. These components contain maternal antibodies that provide immunity to the infant for a short period of time as these antibodies reduce over months. Artificial immunity is induced by the transfer of antibodies through blood plasma and serum.

Additional information:
- An example of actively acquired immunity being harnessed for human health is the use of monoclonal antibodies, or MAbs. They are antibody clones produced from a single cell. They are highly specific because they are targeted towards a single region on the pathogen surface.
- MAbs are being used in the treatment of various pathogenic diseases and disorders like cancer.
So, the correct answer is ‘(d) Passive immunity’.

Note:
- Species other than human beings pass maternal antibodies to their offspring are primates, rabbits, and hares.
- Passive immunization is also used in the treatment of immunosuppressive disorders.