Which term describes the body's resistance to infection that may be natural or developed after exposure?

Which term describes the body's resistance to infection that may be natural or developed after exposure?

• A. Immunity
• B. Endemic
• C. Transmission
• D. Pathogen

Answer: (A)

Immunity describes the body's resistance to infection, which can be natural (innate) or developed after exposure (acquired or adaptive). Natural immunity includes physical barriers like skin and mucous membranes, plus general defenses such as white blood cells that respond to a wide range of invaders. Acquired immunity develops after exposure to a specific pathogen or through vaccination, yielding targeted antibodies and memory cells that provide stronger, faster protection if the same pathogen is encountered again. The other terms don’t fit: endemic refers to a disease that regularly occurs in a population or area, transmission is the spread of a disease from one person to another, and a pathogen is the disease-causing organism itself, not the body's resistance to it.

Immunity describes the body's resistance to infection, which can be natural (innate) or developed after exposure (acquired or adaptive). Natural immunity includes physical barriers like skin and mucous membranes, plus general defenses such as white blood cells that respond to a wide range of invaders. Acquired immunity develops after exposure to a specific pathogen or through vaccination, yielding targeted antibodies and memory cells that provide stronger, faster protection if the same pathogen is encountered again. The other terms don’t fit: endemic refers to a disease that regularly occurs in a population or area, transmission is the spread of a disease from one person to another, and a pathogen is the disease-causing organism itself, not the body's resistance to it.