The body's learned immune response to disease-causing foreign substances, also referred to as pathogens or antigens.
Immunity is engendered by the host immune system, reacting in very specific ways to foreign components (such as proteins) of particular parasites or infective agents. It is influenced by many factors, including the environment, inherited genes, and acquired characteristics. In contrast to innate immunity, specific immunity allows for a targeted response against a specific pathogen. Only vertebrates have specific immune responses. Two types of white blood cells called lymphocytes are vital to the specific immune response. Lymphocytes are produced in the bone marrow, and mature into one of several subtypes. The two most common are T cells and B cells. An antigen is a foreign material that triggers a response from T Specific immunity would be a defense mechanism specific to a certain antigen. Nonspecific immunity would be a defense mechanism for a variety of factors threatening to upset h … omeostasis. Ex; Specific-Antibodies, produced by plasma cells, where each antibody is produced to target one specific antigen. Non-Specific (Innate) Immunity. The human immune system has two levels of immunity: specific and non-specific immunity. Through non-specific immunity, also called innate immunity, the human body protects itself against foreign material that is perceived to be harmful. Specific immunity is the body's learned immune response to disease-causing foreign substances, also referred to as pathogens or antigens. It is also commonly called acquired immunity or adaptive immunity. Adaptive immunity refers to antigen-specific immune response. The adaptive immune response is more complex than the innate. The antigen first must be processed and recognized. Once an antigen has been recognized, the adaptive immune system creates an army of immune cells specifically designed to attack that antigen. Active immunity is stimulation of the immune system to produce antigen-specific humoral (antibody) and cellular immunity. Unlike passive immunity, which is temporary, active immunity usually lasts for many years, often for a lifetime. One way to acquire active immunity is to have the natural disease. When the body acquires specific immunity to a pathogen, highly specialized cells called lymphocytes are responsible for the process. Lymphocytes enable the body to tell the difference between its own cells and invading foreign substances.
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/specific+immunity http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/human-immune-system-and-infectious-disease http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_specific_immunity http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/human-immune-system-and-infectious-disease http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-specific-immunity.htm http://www.biology.arizona.edu/immunology/tutorials/immunology/page3.html http://www.immune.org.nz/category/tags/specific-immunity http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-specific-immunity.htm
what is specific immunity