Question

During the latent period at the beginning of a primary antibody response

A) Antibodies are actively produced
B) Memory cells are rapidly generated
C) There is a lack of antibodies to the activating antigen
D) The immune response is at its peak

Answer 1

At the beginning of a primary antibody response, there is a lack of antibodies to the activating antigen during a latent period. This initial phase involves the activation and proliferation of B cells before the production of detectable antibodies begins. Subsequent exposures lead to a more rapid and stronger secondary immune response.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the latent period at the beginning of a primary antibody response, there is C) a lack of antibodies to the activating antigen. The latent period, which lasts about 10 days, is a necessary phase for several key processes in the adaptive immune response. These include the naive mature B cell binding of the antigen with BCRs, antigen processing and presentation, helper T cell activation, as well as B cell activation and clonal proliferation. It is only after these processes are completed that a rise in IgM levels can be detected in the serum, indicating the start of antibody production by plasma cells.

Contrastingly, during secondary exposure to the same antigen, memory B cells are quickly activated, and they differentiate into plasma cells that secrete antibodies. This secondary response is more prompt and robust, resulting in the rapid production of high levels of more effective antibodies, which can persist for a longer period.