Resistance vs. Immunity — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 15, 2024
Resistance refers to an organism's ability to mitigate the effects of a disease or toxin, often reducing severity, while immunity involves a complete or nearly complete prevention of the specific disease.
Difference Between Resistance and Immunity
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Key Differences
Resistance in biology and medicine implies a reduced susceptibility to a disease or toxin, resulting in less severe symptoms when exposure occurs. On the other hand, immunity refers to the body's ability to completely ward off the pathogenic effects of an infection, preventing the disease from taking hold.
Resistance might be partial, allowing the organism to bear an infection with mitigated effects, indicating that the pathogen can still infect but doesn't cause severe illness. Whereas, immunity generally means that the organism does not get infected at all, or if it does, the infection is asymptomatic and not harmful.
Resistance can be natural due to genetic factors or acquired through previous exposure to the disease or vaccination, leading to a lessened impact of the disease. Immunity, however, can also be both innate (as part of an organism's natural biological defenses) and acquired through immunizations or past infections, offering more robust protection.
In the context of infectious diseases, resistance may slow down the spread of the disease and reduce its impact but does not eliminate the risk of infection. Immunity, however, can contribute to herd immunity, significantly reducing the spread of infectious diseases within a population.
While resistance involves mechanisms like minimizing the replication of pathogens or reducing the toxin's impact, immunity involves the immune system preventing pathogens from taking hold by neutralizing or destroying them before they can cause disease.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Ability to reduce the severity and impact of disease
Ability to completely or nearly completely prevent disease
Level of Protection
Partial, reduces severity
Complete, prevents infection
Mechanism
May involve slower pathogen replication, less toxin impact
Involves immune response to neutralize/destroy pathogens
Type
Can be innate or acquired
Can be innate (natural) or acquired (through immunization)
Impact on Disease Spread
Slows down but does not eliminate spread
Can contribute to herd immunity, potentially stopping spread
Compare with Definitions
Resistance
Can be specific to certain diseases or conditions.
Resistance to antibiotics is a growing concern in medical communities.
Immunity
Prevents diseases from taking hold and causing symptoms.
Her immunity to measles prevented her from catching it despite exposure.
Resistance
Often develops through exposure or genetic factors.
Mosquito resistance to insecticides has complicated efforts to control malaria.
Immunity
Critical for controlling the spread of infectious diseases.
Community immunity helps protect those who are not immune.
Resistance
Reduced effectiveness of a disease or toxin on an organism.
Due to genetic resistance, some people experience milder symptoms of the flu.
Immunity
The body’s ability to prevent the invasion of pathogens.
Vaccination provides immunity against many childhood diseases.
Resistance
Varies in degree and effectiveness across different organisms.
Plant varieties show varying degrees of resistance to fungal infections.
Immunity
Can be passive or active, depending on how it's acquired.
Babies receive passive immunity from their mothers at birth.
Resistance
Helps in coping with infections but doesn't prevent them.
His resistance to the common cold is high, rarely getting worse than a sniffle.
Immunity
Often requires the action of antibodies and immune cells.
His immunity to chickenpox is due to antibodies from a previous infection.
Resistance
The refusal to accept or comply with something
They displayed a narrow-minded resistance to change
Immunity
The ability of an organism to resist a particular infection or toxin by the action of specific antibodies or sensitized white blood cells
Immunity to typhoid seems to have increased spontaneously
Resistance
The ability not to be affected by something, especially adversely
Some of us have a lower resistance to cold than others
Immunity
Protection or exemption from something, especially an obligation or penalty
The rebels were given immunity from prosecution
Resistance
The impeding or stopping effect exerted by one material thing on another
Air resistance was reduced by streamlining
Immunity
The quality or condition of being immune
“His above-average size during adolescence did not purchase immunity from the depredations of school bullies” (Stephen S. Hall).
Resistance
The degree to which a substance or device opposes the passage of an electric current, causing energy dissipation. By Ohm's law resistance (measured in ohms) is equal to the voltage divided by the current.
Immunity
(Immunology) Inherited, acquired, or induced resistance to infection by a specific pathogen.
Resistance
The act or an instance of resisting or the capacity to resist.
Immunity
Exemption from certain generally applicable requirements of law or from certain liabilities, granted to special groups of people to facilitate the performance of their public functions
Diplomatic immunity.
Judicial immunity.
Resistance
A force that tends to oppose or retard motion.
Immunity
Exemption from prosecution granted to a witness to compel that witness to give potentially self-incriminating testimony that otherwise could not be compelled because of the constitutional right against self-incrimination.
Resistance
Often Resistance An underground organization engaged in a struggle for national liberation in a country under military or totalitarian occupation.
Immunity
Exemption from being sued
Sovereign immunity.
Charitable immunity.
Resistance
(Psychology) A process in which the ego opposes the conscious recall of anxiety-producing experiences.
Immunity
A condition conferred upon a contestant that prevents that contestant from being eliminated from a competition for a certain time period
The winner of the challenge was given immunity for the following challenge.
Resistance
Ability (of an organism, tissue, or cell) to withstand a destructive agent or condition such as a chemical compound, a disease agent, or an environmental stressor
Antibiotic resistance.
Resistance to fungal diseases.
Drought resistance.
Immunity
(uncountable) The state of being insusceptible to something; notably:
Resistance
Lack of normal response to a biologically active compound such as a hormone
Insulin resistance.
Immunity
(medicine) protective resistance against disease.
Some people have better immunity to diseases than others.
Resistance
(Electricity) The opposition of a body or substance to current passing through it, resulting in a change of electrical energy into heat or another form of energy.
Immunity
(law) An exemption from specified duties, such as payments or services.
Feudal privileges often included tax and other immunities.
Resistance
Thermal resistance.
Immunity
(law) An exemption from prosecution.
The prosecutor offered the lieutenant immunity for all the crimes he would testify having known to be planned by the elusive drug baron.
Resistance
The act of resisting, or the capacity to resist.
Widespread resistance to the new urban development plans
The resistance of bacteria to certain antibiotics
Immunity
(religion) An exemption from penance.
Resistance
(physics) A force that tends to oppose motion.
Immunity
(in games and competitions) An exemption given to a player from losing or being withdrawn from play.
After winning the last round the player was granted immunity which allowed him to stay in the game even after receiving the fewest points.
Resistance
(physics) electrical resistance.
Immunity
(countable) A resistance to a specific thing.
Superbugs are bacteria that develop an immunity to antibiotics.
Resistance
An underground organisation engaged in a struggle for liberation from forceful occupation; a resistance movement.
Immunity
Freedom or exemption from any charge, duty, obligation, office, tax, imposition, penalty, or service; a particular privilege; as, the immunities of the free cities of Germany; the immunities of the clergy.
Resistance
The act of resisting; opposition, passive or active.
When King Demetrius saw that . . . no resistance was made against him, he sent away all his forces.
Immunity
Freedom; exemption; as, immunity from error.
Resistance
The quality of not yielding to force or external pressure; that power of a body which acts in opposition to the impulse or pressure of another, or which prevents the effect of another power; as, the resistance of the air to a body passing through it; the resistance of a target to projectiles.
Immunity
The state of being insusceptible to disease, certain poisons, etc.
Resistance
A means or method of resisting; that which resists.
Unfold to us some warlike resistance.
Immunity
The state of not being susceptible;
Unsusceptibility to rust
Resistance
A certain hindrance or opposition to the passage of an electrical current or discharge offered by conducting bodies. It bears an inverse relation to the conductivity, - good conductors having a small resistance, while poor conductors or insulators have a very high resistance. The unit of resistance is the ohm.
Immunity
(medicine) the condition in which an organism can resist disease
Resistance
The action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with;
He encountered a general feeling of resistance from many citizens
Despite opposition from the newspapers he went ahead
Immunity
The quality of being unaffected by something;
Immunity to criticism
Resistance
Any mechanical force that tends to retard or oppose motion
Immunity
An act exempting someone;
He was granted immunity from prosecution
Resistance
A material's opposition to the flow of electric current; measured in ohms
Resistance
The military action of resisting the enemy's advance;
The enemy offered little resistance
Resistance
(medicine) the condition in which an organism can resist disease
Resistance
A secret group organized to overthrow a government or occupation force
Resistance
The degree of unresponsiveness of a disease-causing microorganism to antibiotics or other drugs (as in penicillin-resistant bacteria)
Resistance
(psychiatry) an unwillingness to bring repressed feelings into conscious awareness
Resistance
An electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current
Resistance
Group action in opposition to those in power
Common Curiosities
Can resistance lead to immunity?
While resistance and immunity are related, resistance does not necessarily lead to complete immunity but can mitigate disease effects.
How does immunity work?
Immunity works by preventing pathogens from infecting the body, primarily through the action of the immune system.
Is immunity always permanent?
Immunity can be lifelong or temporary, depending on the disease and the type of immunity (active or passive).
What is resistance?
Resistance refers to an organism's ability to minimize the impact and severity of a disease.
How do vaccinations affect resistance and immunity?
Vaccinations aim to develop immunity, though in some cases, they may only confer resistance by reducing the severity of diseases.
What are examples of resistance in nature?
Some plants and animals naturally resist certain pathogens or toxins due to genetic traits.
What is the difference between innate and acquired immunity?
Innate immunity is present at birth and provides general defense, whereas acquired immunity develops after exposure to specific pathogens.
Can someone be resistant to all diseases?
No, resistance is usually specific to particular diseases and conditions; it does not confer a broad protection against all pathogens.
Why is resistance not as effective as immunity?
Resistance reduces disease severity but does not prevent infection, whereas immunity can prevent disease onset entirely.
Can immunity be transferred from one person to another?
Yes, passive immunity can be transferred through antibodies, as seen from mother to fetus during pregnancy.
How is herd immunity achieved?
Herd immunity is achieved when a high percentage of a community is immune to a disease, reducing its spread.
What role do antibodies play in immunity?
Antibodies recognize and neutralize pathogens, playing a crucial role in immunity.
What are the implications of antibiotic resistance?
Antibiotic resistance can lead to more severe and harder-to-treat infections, posing a significant public health challenge.
How does immunity contribute to disease eradication?
Strong immunity in a population can lead to the eradication of diseases by preventing their spread and occurrence.
How do health organizations use knowledge of resistance and immunity?
Health organizations use this knowledge to develop vaccines and strategies for disease prevention and control.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
