The diagram shows the concentration of an antibody to a particular pathogen - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 16 - 2019 - Paper 1
Question 16
The diagram shows the concentration of an antibody to a particular pathogen.
Two students are exposed to the pathogen. Student X had previously been vaccinated agai... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The diagram shows the concentration of an antibody to a particular pathogen - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 16 - 2019 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which row of the table shows the most likely levels of antibody in the blood of each student a week after exposure to the pathogen?
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Answer
Since Student X was previously vaccinated, their immune system would have memory cells that respond quickly to the pathogen upon re-exposure. This results in a higher concentration of antibodies. In contrast, Student Y, having never been exposed, would have a much lower concentration of antibodies due to the lack of prior immune response.
Based on the graph, we can infer that:
Student X will likely have a higher antibody concentration of around 1500 mg L⁻¹.
Student Y will likely have an antibody concentration of around 250 mg L⁻¹.