The differences between active and passive immunity
Active immunity means your body makes its own antibodies after meeting an antigen. Passive immunity means your body receives ready-made antibodies from an outside source.
Real World
Newborn babies receive passive immunity via IgG antibodies transferred across the placenta from their mother and via IgA antibodies in breast milk — protection that lasts around six months while their own immune system matures.
Exam Focus
Always state whether memory cells are formed (active = yes, passive = no) and whether protection is long-lasting or short-lived — these two contrasts are standard mark-scheme points.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
How well did you know this?