“ Innate immunity is the body’s immediate response to a threat right after it occurs. It is initiated by cells like macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells and NK cells. The innate immune response is supposed to get rid of an infection as fast as possible before it spreads further hence the coughing, sneezing and inflammation that occur. Innate immunity is not limited to a specific pathogen in its response. Adaptive immunity is not immediate (sometimes it needs a week to kick in) and it is something that develops with exposure to pathogens. This immunity is made up of T cells and B cells. Each TCR and BCR can recognize one specific pathogen really really well. Adaptive immune cells can either do fighting themselves (killer T cells), or assist the innate immune system by providing resources that clump enemies up together (B cells producing antibodies) or by stimulating innate immune cells (helper T cells). And once an infection is over, some cells of the adaptive immune system that were involved stay alive and become memory cells. Which is another key difference between innate and adaptive immunity. Innate immune cells, while they can recognize a number of pathogens already, they do not develop the same long term immunity that the adaptive immune system does to SPECIFIC pathogens after an infection, which can last for years or even a lifetime.”