How the body defends itself: immunity, vaccines and antibiotics
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.
Ari reads a map of the body's defenses. Box X is the first line, a barrier at the body surface. What is box X?
- Phagocytes, cells that engulf microbes
- Memory cells, cells kept after a response
- Skin and mucus, barriers at the body surface
- Antibodies, proteins that match one antigen
Bo reads the map of the body's defenses. Box Y holds second-line cells that engulf and digest microbes. What is box Y?
Map of the body's defenses (model, not to scale). Arrows, each marked with what it carries: microbe to skin and mucus, meets a barrier; skin and mucus to inflammation and fever, a microbe gets past; inflammation and fever to box Y, calls in; box Y to T cells, shows antigen pieces; T cells to B cells, sends an activation signal; B cells to antibodies, make; B cells to memory cells, some become. Map of the body's defenses (model, not to scale). Arrows, each marked with what it carries: microbe to skin and mucus, meets a barrier; skin and mucus to inflammation and fever, a microbe gets past; inflammation and fever to box Y, calls in; box Y to T cells, shows antigen pieces; T cells to B cells, sends an activation signal; B cells to antibodies, make; B cells to memory cells, some become. Map of the body's defenses model, not to scale skin and mucus inflammation and fever Y a microbe gets past calls in microbe meets a barrier T cells shows antigen pieces B cells sends an activation signal antibodies memory cells make some become - B cells, cells that make antibodies
- Skin and mucus, barriers at the body surface
- Phagocytes, cells that engulf microbes
- T cells, specific cells that act in minutes
Esme reads the map of the body's defenses. Phagocytes show antigen pieces to box Z, which then signals B cells. What is box Z?
Map of the body's defenses (model, not to scale). Arrows, each marked with what it carries: microbe to skin and mucus, meets a barrier; skin and mucus to inflammation and fever, a microbe gets past; inflammation and fever to phagocytes, calls in; phagocytes to box Z, shows antigen pieces; box Z to B cells, sends an activation signal; B cells to antibodies, make; B cells to memory cells, some become. Map of the body's defenses (model, not to scale). Arrows, each marked with what it carries: microbe to skin and mucus, meets a barrier; skin and mucus to inflammation and fever, a microbe gets past; inflammation and fever to phagocytes, calls in; phagocytes to box Z, shows antigen pieces; box Z to B cells, sends an activation signal; B cells to antibodies, make; B cells to memory cells, some become. Map of the body's defenses (model, not to scale) microbe skin and mucus meets a barrier inflammation and fever a microbe gets past phagocytes calls in box Z shows antigen pieces B cells sends an activation signal antibodies make memory cells some become - Antibodies, proteins that fit any microbe
- Skin and mucus, barriers at the body surface
- Memory cells, cells kept after a response
- T cells, cells that signal B cells
Read this first
Use this
Map of how a vaccine prepares the body (model, not to scale).
Jun reads a map of how a vaccine prepares the body. B cells make the proteins in the blank box. What belongs in the blank box?
Map of how a vaccine prepares the body (model, not to scale). Arrows, each marked with what it carries: vaccine to phagocytes, antigen pieces; phagocytes to T cells, shows antigen pieces; T cells to B cells, sends an activation signal; B cells to the blank box, make; B cells to memory cells, some become. Map of how a vaccine prepares the body (model, not to scale). Arrows, each marked with what it carries: vaccine to phagocytes, antigen pieces; phagocytes to T cells, shows antigen pieces; T cells to B cells, sends an activation signal; B cells to the blank box, make; B cells to memory cells, some become. vaccine phagocytes T cells B cells antigen pieces shows antigen pieces sends an activation signal make memory cells some become - Antibodies, proteins that match an antigen
- Phagocytes, cells that engulf microbes
- Skin and mucus, barriers at the body surface
- Fever, a rise in body temperature
Luz reads a map of how a vaccine prepares the body. Some B cells become the blank box, which stays after the response. What belongs there?
Map of how a vaccine prepares the body (model, not to scale). Arrows, each marked with what it carries: vaccine to phagocytes, antigen pieces; phagocytes to T cells, shows antigen pieces; T cells to B cells, sends an activation signal; B cells to antibodies, make; B cells to the blank box, some become. Map of how a vaccine prepares the body (model, not to scale). Arrows, each marked with what it carries: vaccine to phagocytes, antigen pieces; phagocytes to T cells, shows antigen pieces; T cells to B cells, sends an activation signal; B cells to antibodies, make; B cells to the blank box, some become. vaccine phagocytes T cells B cells antibodies antigen pieces antigen pieces activation signal make some become - Antigen pieces, parts of a microbe
- Memory cells, cells that stay for next time
- Phagocytes, cells that engulf microbes
- Antibodies, proteins that B cells make
Two maps (model, not to scale) of the order in which defenses act on a new microbe. Milo compares two maps of the order in which defenses act on a new microbe. Which case shows the usual order?
Two maps (model, not to scale) of the order in which defenses act on a new microbe. Case P: skin and mucus, then inflammation and fever, then B cells and antibodies. Case Q: B cells and antibodies, then inflammation and fever, then skin and mucus. Two maps (model, not to scale) of the order in which defenses act on a new microbe. Case P: skin and mucus, then inflammation and fever, then B cells and antibodies. Case Q: B cells and antibodies, then inflammation and fever, then skin and mucus. Case P skin and mucus inflammation and fever B cells and antibodies Case Q B cells and antibodies inflammation and fever skin and mucus - Case Q, because specific defenses are the fastest
- Case P, because barriers act first and antibodies take days
- Case P, because skin and mucus make the antibodies
- Case Q, because antibodies are ready before any microbe arrives
Use this
Two maps (model data, not to scale) of antibody levels after a second exposure to the same microbe, once memory cells have formed.
Noah compares two maps of a second exposure to the same microbe. Which case matches how memory cells change the response?
Two maps (model data, not to scale) of antibody levels after a second exposure to the same microbe, once memory cells have formed. Case 1: antibodies rise after 10 days and reach a peak of 20. Case 2: antibodies rise after 3 days and reach a peak of 200. Two maps (model data, not to scale) of antibody levels after a second exposure to the same microbe, once memory cells have formed. Case 1: antibodies rise after 10 days and reach a peak of 20. Case 2: antibodies rise after 3 days and reach a peak of 200. Case 1 Case 2 antibodies rise antibodies rise 10 days 3 days peak 20 peak 200 - Case 1, because the response is the same each time
- Case 2, because a faster, higher response needs a new microbe
- Case 2, because memory cells give a faster, higher response
- Case 1, because memory cells make the response slower
Antibiotic card (CDC facts)
kind of germ what CDC says about antibiotics bacteria can treat certain infections caused by bacteria viruses do not work on the viruses that cause a cold or the flu Ren reads an antibiotic card. According to the card, do antibiotics work on the viruses that cause a cold or the flu?
- Yes, they work on any kind of germ
- No, they do not work on viruses
- Yes, if they are taken for a longer time
- Yes, on the cold but not on the flu
Tala reads a graph of antibody level after a first and a second exposure to one microbe. Which exposure gave the higher level at day 7?
Model graph of antibody level after two exposures (model data). Days since the exposure (days) across, 0 to 28, a mark every 7. Antibody level (arbitrary units) up, 0 to 40, a mark every 10. The first exposure line joins (0, 0), (7, 2), (14, 10), (21, 6), (28, 3). The second exposure line joins (0, 0), (7, 40), (14, 20), (21, 10), (28, 5). Model graph of antibody level after two exposures (model data). Days since the exposure (days) across, 0 to 28, a mark every 7. Antibody level (arbitrary units) up, 0 to 40, a mark every 10. The first exposure line joins (0, 0), (7, 2), (14, 10), (21, 6), (28, 3). The second exposure line joins (0, 0), (7, 40), (14, 20), (21, 10), (28, 5). Model graph of antibody level after two exposures (model data) 0 7 14 21 28 0 10 20 30 40 Days since the exposure (days) Antibody level (arbitrary units) first exposure line second exposure line - The second exposure
- The first exposure
- Neither line has risen
- Both lines are level
Vaccine card (CDC facts)
vaccine form what it contains active ingredient whole microbe a weakened or inactivated microbe an antigen pieces bits of the microbe's outside or genetic material an antigen toxin a bacterial toxin made harmless an antigen Zee reads a vaccine card. According to the card, what is the active ingredient in each form of vaccine?
- An antigen from the microbe
- An antibiotic that removes the virus
- Ready-made antibodies for the microbe
- Memory cells grown for the person