What is the difference between a specific and non-specific immune response?

Answer 1

Non specific immune response also known as Innate imunity refers to a number of non specific ani microbial systems that are present in our body since birth, so named because it is not intrinsically affected by prior contact with an infectious agent, a number if molecules that are shared by several microorganisms but not by human beings are recognized during this process.
It is the first line of defense and is always available to the body
It os of 2 types:
Humoral - comprised by complement
Cellular- Neutrophils Macrophages, Natural Killer cells etc

Specific immunity aka Adaptive immunity is stimulated by a specific microbes or non micrboial substances. This type of immunity takes time to develop after exposure to the antigen but it is morepowerful and effective in eliminating the antigen. Howerver it can be triggered only when the antigen crosses the epithelial barrier and reaches the lymphoid organs.During this process it may take the help of innate immune responses also (for example by utilising opsonizatin, macrophage activation etc)
Adaptive immunity can be cell mediated or it can be mediated by antibodies (Humoral immunity)
Cellular immunity is mediated by T lymphocytes, either through the release of lymphokines or thru direct cytotoxicity and is responsible for defense against intracellular antigens. It can be activated by protein anitgens only
Humoral immunity is acitve against extracellular microbes and is mediated by B lymphocytes

Answer 2

a specific response is to a virus, bacteria, fungus, etc. that the immune system has previously encountered. an example is activated t cells or antibody releasing plasma cells. a nonspecific response is raised against something the immune system recognizes as foreign, such as through the activation of toll like receptors. phagocytosis by a cell like a dendritic cell or macrophage is an example of a nonspecific response. immune is pronounced just how it looks. pronounce the 'i' like in the word 'in.' someone with aids has a weakened immune system because the human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) enters, replicates in, and destroys cd4+ t cells, which are a primary defense the immune system uses against pathogens.

Answer 3

A specific immune response is tailor-made for the organism that is invading the body. It consists of production of antibodies directed against that specific organism. The same antibodies would not be effective against other organisms (though they might be partially effective against very similar organisms).

A non-specific response is one which, though it may be caused by one organism, would affect the infective capability of many different organisms - such as raising body temperature or sending phagocytic leucocytes to the site of the infection..