Among the Last Line of Defenses Against Prolonged Exposure to an Extracellular

Question

Among the last line of defenses against prolonged exposure to an extracellular pathogen is
A) lysozyme production.
B) phagocytosis by neutrophils.
C) antibody production by plasma cells.
D) histamine release by basophils.
E) lysis by natural killer cells.

Accepted Answer

Antibody production by plasma cells is a mechanism of adaptive immunity that can recognize and neutralize specific extracellular pathogens. This provides a specific defense against the pathogen and can help to limit prolonged exposure. Lysozyme production, phagocytosis by neutrophils, histamine release by basophils, and lysis by natural killer cells are all important components of the immune response, but they are not specific to extracellular pathogens or able to provide the same level of targeted protection as antibody production.