Immune System Vocabulary

What we verified before publishing

Fact-check status: passed

The following claims were verified through Perplexity Sonar before the questions were finalised. The host can reference any of them during play:

• B-cells are white blood cells that develop in the bone marrow and produce antibodies to fight specific pathogens[1][7].
• Pathogens are microscopic organisms like bacteria and viruses that prompt the immune system to launch a response[6][7].
• Antigens are substances that cause the body to launch an immune response, commonly found on pathogens or allergens[7].
• Antibodies are proteins also called immunoglobulins that detect and stick to antigens to flag them for destruction[7].
• The immune system distinguishes between the body's own healthy cells and foreign invaders like bacteria or viruses[6].
• Innate immunity provides a preconfigured response to broad groups of pathogens, while adaptive immunity learns to recognize specific past invaders[6].
• The main parts of the immune system include white blood cells, antibodies, the spleen, bone marrow, and the thymus[4].
• Immune memory allows the system to recognize and quickly destroy germs it has previously defeated[4].
• Antibiotics treat bacterial infections but are not effective against viruses like the flu or common cold[7].
• Phagocytes are white blood cells that engulf and destroy pathogens as part of the immune defense[5].
• The complement system is a group of plasma proteins that interact to form complement, a mediator of inflammation[2].
• Immunodeficiency is a condition where parts of the immune system fail, making a person more susceptible to diseases[1].