Final answer:
Adaptive immunity is a slower but more specific immune response than innate immunity. It involves T cells, B cells, and antibodies to target and destroy specific pathogens. Memory cells are produced to provide long-term immunity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The adaptive immune response is a slower-acting, longer-lasting, and more specific response than the innate response. It requires information from the innate immune system to function. Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) display antigens on MHC molecules to naïve T cells. In response, the T cells differentiate and proliferate, becoming TH cells or Tc cells. TH cells stimulate B cells to produce antibodies, whereas Tc cells destroy infected or cancerous cells. Memory cells are also produced and provide long-term immunity.