So let's discuss the term immunity. I mentioned earlier in our previous slide the term immunocompromised. So we have immunocompetent and then immunocompromised.
Immunocompetent is in reference to a normal functioning immune system. This is going to be someone that's not going to be as susceptible to infection as someone who has a less than normal immune system. Turns down from there, we have immunodeficient, immunocompromised, and immunosuppressed. Now, all of these are going to be in reference to someone who has a less than normal functioning immune system.
Of course, this is going to put this individual more at risk for developing infections, viruses being able to invade the body a lot easier, and it also places them at risk for what's called opportunistic infections. And opportunistic infections are infections that are caused by microorganisms that ordinarily would not cause much problem to someone who has a normal functioning immune system. But someone who's considered immunocompetent or immunocompromised, this could cause problems for them. So someone who has active cancer treatment, maybe going through an organ transplant, advanced or untreated HIV infection.
and on other drugs or active treatment along the way could also compromise the immune system and place them more at risk and make them more susceptible to infection. Patients and immunity. Here we have different types of immunity. And in active immunity, we have what's called natural and artificial.
And so there with natural, natural is just that. This is going to be active immunity, natural immunity from being exposed to something. Your body recognizes it and develops its own immunity against it.
Then we have active immunity, which is artificial. That's going to be through means of vaccination. So your varicella, your hepatitis, anything, if you think vaccinations, anything along the line of vaccinations, that's going to be an artificial active immunity.
It was created in the lab. They were able to recreate that pathogen. teach our body how to develop its own immunity against it. If in fact you did become exposed to it, your body's going to know exactly what to do to be able to rid it of that pathogen. Then we have passive immunity.
Now, passive immunity is also in the form of natural, which passes from mom to infant. It's called maternal antibodies, and it's usually distributed in the first bit of breast milk that mom is able to distribute, whether she breastfeeds or not. It's called colostrum. And in that colostrum, it's got tons of antibodies that support natural passive immunity. Artificial passive immunity takes us back into the lab.
Scientists have the ability to be able to create what's called monoclonal antibodies. And these antibodies also have the ability to be able to recognize something that's foreign and develop its own immunity against it.