Your Friend Ellie Is Pregnant

question 87

Multiple Choice

Your friend Ellie is pregnant. She tells you that her mother, a microbiologist, has warned her not to clean out the cat's litter box while she is pregnant in case she contracts a disease called toxoplasmosis, which can affect her fetus. She says her mom told her toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, that may be found in the feces of infected cats and also in raw meat. Your friend's mom tells her that when a person has not had a particular disease, they are not immune to the pathogen that causes the disease, and lack antibodies against that microbe. Your friend has never had toxoplasmosis but she doesn't quite understand why this, and the fact that she doesn't have antibodies to T. gondii, is important. You help her understand some facts about her adaptive immune system.
-You explain to Ellie that when a person is exposed to an antigen, they generate antibodies against the antigen. Antibodies are ________ generated by ______.

• A) carbohydrates; plasma cells
• B) epitopes; plasma cells
• C) proteins; effector B cells
• D) carbohydrates; effector B cells
• E) proteins; effector T cells

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Definitions:

Threshold Effect

The point at which a small change or action produces a significant and often sudden response or effect.

Participative Leadership

A leadership style where decision-making is shared among group members, promoting collaboration, team involvement, and collective empowerment.

Routine Decisions

Decisions that are made frequently, typically involving standard procedures and minimal complexity.

Minimum Threshold

The lowest level at which a certain action, effect, or condition is observed or required to proceed.