What is the difference (in biological terms) between immunity and resistance?
Immunity applies to a person or other organism who has an antibody-based protection against an infecting organism – bacterium or virus. Never say that a bacterium is immune to, or has immunity to, an antibiotic, for instance. Resistance applies to the ability of a micro-organism to survive the effects of an antibiotic. It is a property of the pathogenic micro-organism, not a weakness or chemical property of the antibiotic, and unrelated to the organism which is being infected – usually human or Man’s stock animals. Since resistance to antibiotics is likely to be genetically based, there is fear that populations of resistant strains may become established. Never say that bacteria are spread, or grow – examiners prefer to be told that bacteria reproduce (asexually).
