You are a doctor and have a patient who has been injured by a rusty nail. As a precaution, you vaccinate her against tetanus. In response to the vaccine, how does her body produce antibodies against C. tetani and prevent future illness due to tetanus?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a person receives a vaccine, the vaccine contains an antigen (in this case, C. tetani) that stimulates the person's immune system to produce antibodies against it. This is done by activating B-cells that have a specific receptor that will bind to the antigen. These B-cells undergo clonal expansion, where they divide repeatedly to produce many identical "memory" B-cells and many identical plasma cells. The plasma cells then produce and secrete antibodies into the bloodstream, which can quickly neutralize the pathogen if it reappears. The memory B-cells, on the other hand, "remember" the antigen and can quickly mount a response if the person is infected again with the same antigen.

You Are a Doctor and Have a Patient Who Has