What is the key difference between the two types of adaptive immunity?
Humoral immunity produces antibodies that bind antigens on free-floating pathogens in blood
and lymph, whereas cell-mediated immunity causes cytotoxic T cells to bind and destroy infected
or altered cells in body tissues.
Humoral immunity utilizes phagocytes to activate B cell antibody production, whereas cell-
mediated immunity requires helper T cells to stimulate B cell rapid division.
Humoral immunity occurs the first time the immune system encounters a particular antigen,
whereas cell-mediated immunity takes place during the second encounter when there is a rapid
and strong immune response.
Humoral immunity refers to the activity of just the B cell derivatives (memory and plasma cells),
whereas cell-mediated immunity refers to the activity of all T cells (helper, memory, and cytotoxic
cells).