Let me share with you a comparison between Adaptive and Innate immune response.
| Aspect | Adaptive or Acquired immune response | Innate immune response |
| Specificity | Highly specific to particular pathogens and antigens. | General and non-specific in recognizing a broad range of pathogens. |
| Memory | Exhibits immunological memory, leading to a faster and stronger response upon re-exposure to the same pathogen. | Lacks immunological memory |
| Components | · B cells (antibody-mediated immunity)
· T cells (cell-mediated immunity) |
· Composed of physical and chemical barriers
· Phagocytic cells (e.g., macrophages) · Inflammatory responses |
| Time of Activation | Slower response time | Rapid response within minutes to hours |
| Activation | Activated by exposure to specific antigens, often with the help of antigen-presenting cells (APCs). | Activated by the presence of pathogens through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). |
| Function | Mainly responsible for clearing infections, destroying infected cells, and providing long-term immunity. | Provides immediate, but short-term, defense against a wide range of pathogens. |