Florida Biology EOC Practice Test

What is true about passive immunity?

1. It is permanent

2. It uses the body's own immune cells forever

3. It eventually gets destroyed by the person’s immune system

4. It is effective against all pathogens

The correct answer is: It eventually gets destroyed by the person’s immune system

Passive immunity refers to the transfer of antibodies from one individual to another, providing temporary protection against diseases. This can occur naturally, such as when antibodies are passed from mother to child through the placenta or breast milk, or artificially, through the administration of antibody-containing serum. The correct statement is that passive immunity eventually gets destroyed by the person’s immune system. This happens because the antibodies received through passive immunity are not produced by the recipient's own immune system; they are foreign proteins. Over time, the recipient's immune system recognizes these antibodies as non-self and will degrade them. This temporary nature is a defining characteristic of passive immunity, typically lasting weeks to months. In contrast to this, passive immunity is not permanent (making the first choice incorrect) because the antibodies will diminish after a certain period. The statement about using the body's own immune cells forever is also inaccurate, as passive immunity relies on antibodies that are not generated by the person's immune system but rather provided externally. Lastly, while passive immunity can protect against specific pathogens that the administered antibodies target, it does not provide broad-spectrum or long-lasting immunity against all types of pathogens, which is why the idea that it is effective against all pathogens is misleading.