2007-03-17 20:30:38 · 3 answers · asked by Nashiham 13 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
An antigen is like a unique molecular pattern belonging to a bacteria, virus, parasite, etc that the immune system remembers, such that the next time it is exposed to that pattern, it will know that the organism is foreign and will eliminate it.
The relation between antigen and vaccine is that a vaccine contains antigenic molecules that are not the functioning and virulent organism. That is, it allows the immune system to establish memory and competence against the organism without actually exposing it to the organism. It would be like showing you a lion's head so that you know what a lion looks like (so that you can protect yourself if you see one in the future), without actually showing you the entire, live lion, because that would be too dangerous.
2007-03-18 02:16:41 · answer #1 · answered by citizen insane 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
An antigen is a molecule that stimulates an immune response. The word originated from the notion that they can stimulate antibody generation. We now know that the immune system does not only consist of antibodies. The modern definition encompasses all substances that can be recognized by the adaptive immune system. This includes viruses as well as bacteria. It can be a simple protein.
A vaccine is an antigenic preparation used to establish immunity to a disease. Vaccines almost always contain live or attenuated bacteria or viruses
2007-03-18 04:11:26 · answer #2 · answered by J.SWAMY I ఇ జ స్వామి 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think a vaccine contains an antigen ?????
2007-03-18 03:35:53 · answer #3 · answered by mrswho86 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋