The adaptive immune system is specific and more advanced than the innate immune system and is exclusively found in vertebrates. The adaptive immune response takes time to become activated. Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) present pieces of the pathogen to T cells of the adaptive immune system, which activate other T cells and B cells via cytokines. T cells are incapable of self-activation and must be presented with foreign antigens by antigen-presenting cells.
The three main professional APC types are:
- Macrophages (tissue) and monocytes (peripheral blood)
- B lymphocytes and Plasma cells
- Dendritic cells
The adaptive immune response can be cell-mediated, involving CD8+ cytotoxic T cells.
The adaptive immune response can be humoral, involving antibody production from activated B cells, known as plasma cells.
1. Häggström, Mikael. "Medical gallery of Mikael Häggström 2014 - Lymphocyte activation (simple)." WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.008. ISSN 2002-4436. 2014.
