TYPES OF IMMUNITY

IMMUNITY
• Immunity is derived from Latin word “immunis” which means free
from burden. In this case burden refers to disease caused by
microorganisms or their toxic products.
• Immunity is defined as the state of resistance or in susceptibility
to disease caused by particular microorganisms or their toxic
products.
• In biology, immunity is the balanced state of multicellular
organisms having adequate biological defenses to
fight infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion,
while having adequate tolerance to avoid allergy,
and autoimmune diseases.
FACTORS AFFECTS
IMMUNITY
1. Host resistance
2. Dosage of organisms
3. Virulence of organisms
 Types of
immunity
Natural or Innate Acquired or Adaptive or Specific
Immunity Immunity

Specie Racial Individu Active Passive

s immuni al Acquired Acquired
immun ty immunit immunity immunity
ity y
Natural Artificial Natural Artifici
al
NATURAL OR INNATE
IMMUNITY
• Immunity with which an individual is born is called
innate or natural immunity.
• Innate immunity is inherited by the organism from the
parents and protects it from birth throughout life.
• Innate immunity is provided by various components
such as Skin, mucus membrane, Phagocytic cells etc.
• Innate immunity acts as first line of defense to
particular microorganisms.
TYPES OF INNATE IMMUNITY
1. Species immunity:
If one species is resistant to certain infection and the
other species is susceptible to the same infection
then it is called as species immunity.
Anatomic, physiological and metabolic differences
between species determine species immunity. For
example, Birds are resistant to anthrax but Human
are susceptible. It is simply because higher body
temperature of birds kills Bacillus anthracis.
Anatomic differences between species also
determine species immunity. For example, Human
are more susceptible to skin infection whereas
2. Racial immunity:
If one race is susceptible while other race is resistant
to same infection, then it is called Racial immunity.
For examples; certain African race are more resistant
to malaria and yellow fever but Asian or Americans
are susceptible to same infection.
Racial immunity is determined by difference in
Socio-economic status, habitat, culture feeding
habits, environments, genetic, etc.
3. Individual immunity:
If one individual of certain race or cast is resistant
while other individuals of same race or cast are
susceptible to certain infection, then it is called as
individual immunity.
Individual immunity is determined by various factors
such as health status, nutritional status, previous
illness, personal hygiene, genetic differences etc.
For examples; Individual with genetic deficiency of
glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase are resistant to
Malaria.
MECHANISM OF INNATE
IMMUNITY
1. Anatomical barrier
2. Physiochemical barrier
3. Phagocytic barrier or Phagocytosis
4. Inflammatory barrier or Inflammation
ANATOMICAL BARRIER
1. Skin:
Skin consists of two distinct layer; a thin outer layer
called epidermis and thick inner layer called dermis.
Epidermis consists of mostly dead cell filled with
keratin. Dermis is composed of connective tissue,
hair follicle, sebaceous gland and sweat gland.
Skin provides first line of defense by preventing
entry of microorganisms. However skin may be
penetrated by injury or insects.
2. Mucous membrane:
• Mucus secreted by mucous membrane traps the
microor­ganisms and immobilises them.
• Microorganisms and dust particles can enter the
respiratory tract with air during breathing which are
trapped in the mucus.
• The cilia sweep the mucus loaded with
microorganisms and dust particles into the pharynx
(throat).
• From the pharynx it is thrown out or swallowed for
elimination with the faeces.
PHYSIOCHEMICAL BARRIER
1. Acid of the stomach kills most ingested
microorganisms
2. Bile does not allow growth of microorganisms
3. Cerumen (ear wax) traps dust particles, kills
bacteria and repels insects
4. Lysozyme is present in tissue fluids and in almost
all secretions e.g. sweat, urine, tears, saliva etc.
5. Nasal Hair. They filter out microbes and dust in
nose
6. Urine. It washes microbes from urethra
PHAGOCYTOSIS
• Phagocytosis is an important defense mechanism of
host to provide immunity. Most of the bacteria that
enter into host are killed by phagocytic cells such as
Neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages.
• Phagocytosis is an example of endocytosis.
• There are two types of endocytosis; phagocytosis
and pinocytosis.
INFLAMMATION
• Inflammation is an important defense mechanism of
host to prevent infection. It is induced in response to
tissue damage caused by microorganism, toxins or by
mechanical means.
• The inflammation may be acute; for eg. in response to
tissue damage or chronic; for eg. Arthritis, cancer etc.
• Main aim of inflammation is to prevent spread of
injected microorganism or toxin from site of injection
and kill them on spot by phagocytosis.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
INFLAMMATION
1. Rubor: Redness
2. Tumor: Swelling
3. Calor: Heat
4. Dolor: Pain
5. Functio laesa: Loss of function
STEPS OF INFLAMMATORY
RESPONSE
1. Tissue damage caused by toxin, microorganism
or mechanical injury release histamine
2. Vasodilation: Histamine causes blood vessels
vasodilation.
3. Increased permeability: Histamine increases
the permeability of blood capillaries so that fluid
accumulates & causes edema.
4. Extravasation: Neutrophil migrates to the site of
tissue damage by the process of chemotaxis and
passes through capillaries wall and enter into
tissue space by the process called extravasation.
5. Phagocytosis: Neutrophil kills the microorganism
or toxins by phagocytosis and release molecular
mediators that contributes to inflammatory
response. At the same time activates effectors
cells.
6. Inflammatory response: As inflammatory
response develops, various cytokines and other
inflammatory mediators act on endothelium of
local blood vessels, including increased expression
of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). The epithelium
is then said to be inflamed. Neutrophils are the
first cell types to bind to inflamed endothelium and
ACQUIRED IMMUNITY
• Immunity which is developed later in life after microbial
infection in host is called as Acquired or developed
immunity. For example, If an individual is infected with
chicken pox virus, he/she become resistant to same virus
in later life.
• Acquired immunity is provided by Antibodies and certain T-
lymphocytes.
• Components of acquired immunity such as Antibodies and
T- cells are specific to particular microorganism. Therefore
acquired immunity is also known as Specific immunity.
 TYPES OF ACQUIRED
IMMUNITY
1. Active immunity:
• If host itself produces antibodies, it is called active
immunity.
a) Artificial active immunity: Immunity provided by
vaccination.
b) Natural active immunity: Immunity provided by natural
infection.
2. Passive immunity:
• If host does not produce antibodies itself but antibodies
produced in other host provides immunity, than it is known
as Passive immunity.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
ACQUIRED IMMUNITY
1. Specificity: It is the ability to differentiate
between antigens.
2. Diversity: It can recognise a vast variety of
antigens.
3. Discrimination between Self and Non-self: It
can recognise and respond to foreign molecules
(non-self) and can avoid response to those
molecules that are present within the body (self)
of the animal.
4. Memory: When the immune system encounters a
specific foreign agent, (e.g., a microbe) for the first
COMPONENTS OF ACQUIRED
IMMUNITY
Acquired immunity has two components:
1. Humeral immunity or Antibody mediated immune
system (AMIS)
2. Cellular immunity or cell mediated immune
system (CMIS)
HUMERAL IMMUNITY OR ANTIBODY
MEDIATED IMMUNE SYSTEM (AMIS)
• The word ‘humor’ mean fluid.
• It consists of antibodies that circulate in the body fluids like
blood plasma and lymph.
• В lymphocytes (B cells) produce antibodies that regulate
humoral immunity.
• Humoral immunity or antibody-mediated immune system
(AMIS) provides defence against most extracellular bacterial
pathogens and viruses that infect through the respiratory
and intestinal tract.
Role of AMIS:
• The AMIS protects the body from viruses, some bacteria and
CELLULAR IMMUNITY OR
CELL MEDIATED IMMUNE
SYSTEM (CMIS)
• Lymphocytes are of two types: T lymphocytes and В
lymphocytes.
• Because T lymphocytes (T cells) mature in the thymus, this
immunity is also called T- cell immunity.
• The T-cells play two important functions—effector and
regulatory.
• The effector function includes cytolysis (destruction of cells by
immune processes) of cells infected with microbes and
tumour cells and lymphokine production. The regulatory
functions are either to increase or to suppress other
lymphocytes and accessory cells.
 HERD IMMUNITY
•Herd immunity also known as community immunity.
•Herd immunity occurs when a high percentage of the
community is immune to a disease (through
vaccination or other methods), making the spread of
this disease from person to person unlikely.
•Even individuals not vaccinated are offered some
protection because the disease has little opportunity to
spread within the community.
•Vaccines prevent many dangerous and deadly
diseases.
 EFFECTS OF HERD
IMMUNITY

1. Protection of those without immunity.

2. Evolutionary pressure.
3. Serotype replacement.
4. Eradication of diseases.
 MECHANISM OF HERD
IMMUNITY
•Individuals who are immune to a disease act as a
barrier in the spread of disease.
•There are certain groups of people who cannot get
vaccinated and are vulnerable to disease:- babies,
pregnant women and immunocompromised people,
such as those receiving chemotherapy or organ
transplants.
•If enough people are vaccinated against dangerous
diseases, those who are susceptible and cannot get
vaccinated are protected because the germ will not
be able to “find” those susceptible individuals.
TYPES OF HERD IMMUNITY
1) Innate herd immunity:
 It is genetically determined physiological changes
with respect to antibody production or other
defence mechanism in a herd.
 It does not depend on the previous exposure of
herd with infection or it may arise in a herd
through prolonged exposure to an infection or
natural selection.
2) Acquired herd immunity:
 It is a type of herd immunity where a sufficient
number of its members have actually been
exposed naturally or artificially to infectious agents
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Dec 22, 2024 Nidhi Saxena, Department of Microbiology 34