Adaptive immune system

The adaptive immune system, sometimes called the acquired immune system, learns to destroy pathogens. Its ability to learn (for example from vaccines) in this way distinguishes it from the innate immune system. It works by first identifying "non-self", it then generates a response to the pathogen, and finally it develops a memory of that response to reuse in future.

The main components of the system are:

• Antigen presentation
• B cells (B lymphocytes, working in blood & lymph)
• T cells (T lymphocytes, working within cells)

Rituximab

The cancer drug Rituximab targets CD20 receptors on B cells and so targets the adaptive immune system.

Learn more

• Wikipedia - Adaptive immune system
• Crash Course - The Immune System Part 2 (humoral immunity & B cells)
• Crash Course - The Immune System Part 3 (cell-mediated immunity & T cells)

See also

• Innate immune system
• Immune system

B cell - B lymphocyte, or a type of white blood cell, which is involved in the immune response by secreting antibodies to ward off infections. In mammals, they are mostly matured in the bone marrow.

T cell - A type of white blood cell which is mostly produced or matured in the thymus gland (hence T-cell) and is involved in the adaptive immune response on a cellular level. Also known as a T lymphocyte. (Learn more: www.youtube.com)