Question

Humoral immunity is due to
(a) B - Lymphocytes
(b) T - Lymphocytes
(c) L - Lymphocytes
(d) P - Lymphocytes

Answer 1

Hint: Humoral immunity is related to the immunity derived from components derived from the body fluids. The immunity is due to the antibodies produced from a particular type of cell formed in the bone marrow.

Complete answer:
- Humoral immunity, also known as antibody-mediated immunity, is a form of adaptive immunity that protects the body from foreign bodies and pathogens.
- This immunity includes the mechanisms mediated by antibodies that are produced and secreted by B cells or B lymphocytes.
- B Lymphocytes principally produce antibodies against antigens. A combination of processes involving B cell recognition of antigen, clonal proliferation, and the terminal differentiation into plasma cells leads to the activation of B cells and the production of antibodies.

Additional Information:
- The difference between B cells and T cells is while both of these cells are formed in the bone marrow, the B cells remain in the bone marrow and undergo maturation there and T cells travel to the thymus and mature there.
- Other components of humoral immunity are the complement proteins and some antimicrobial peptides. Other processes of the immunity apart from antibody production are effector functions of antibodies (such as toxin and pathogen neutralization), cytokine production, memory cell generation, complement activation, pathogen elimination, etc.
- The other form of adaptive immunity is cellular immunity. This is mediated by T Lymphocytes. This immunity occurs inside infected cells.
So, the correct answer is ‘(a) B Lymphocytes’.

Note:
- The different antibodies in the human body are IgG, IgD, IgA, IgM, and IgE.
- The antigens of a pathogen are produced on the cell surface or the antigen-presenting cells.
- B cells form B cell receptors on their surface after maturation in the bone marrow.