Which immune cells are primarily involved in the adaptive immune response?

The cells primarily involved in the adaptive immune response are B cells and T cells. B cells are responsible for the humoral immune response, which involves the production of antibodies that can specifically target and neutralize pathogens. When activated by the presence of an antigen, B cells differentiate into plasma cells that secrete antibodies, which are crucial for identifying and eliminating infectious agents.

T cells, on the other hand, are key players in the cell-mediated immune response. They are further divided into various subtypes, such as helper T cells (which assist other immune cells in mounting a response) and cytotoxic T cells (which directly kill infected or cancerous cells). The adaptive immune response is characterized by its specificity to particular pathogens and the ability to create immunological memory, allowing for a quicker and more effective response upon re-exposure to the same pathogen.

Other immune cells such as neutrophils and macrophages are essential components of the innate immune response, acting as first responders to infection and participating in the inflammatory process, but they do not provide the specificity and memory characteristic of the adaptive immune system. Monocytes and dendritic cells also belong to the innate immune system and play a role in antigen presentation to B and T cells but are not directly responsible for the adaptive