Final answer:
Adjuvants in vaccines are used to enhance the immune response, stimulate memory cell formation, and produce a more robust and lasting immunity against specific pathogens.
Step-by-step explanation:
Adjuvants are added to the contents of a vaccine in order to enhance the immune response. The primary purpose of adjuvants is to boost the body's immunological reaction to the administered antigen, ensuring a stronger and more lasting immunity. This can be particularly crucial in the case of subunit vaccines, where just a part of the infectious organism is used to elicit an immune response without the risk of causing the disease. Adjuvants accomplish this by stimulating memory cell formation, which is essential for long-term immunity. It's important to note that adjuvants do not increase the shelf life, improve the taste, or directly reduce the cost of production of vaccines. Instead, their role is strictly immunological. They help in the development of immunological memory, which is beneficial for producing resistance to specific pathogens without individuals having to experience an infection.