Vaccine data CER analysis
Wed, May 12, 2027 · Week 17 · Human Anatomy & Physiology (Human Body Systems)
Today's goal: Students will analyze vaccine and antibody data and write a CER about immunity.
What a finished product looks like
This is a model of the work you should turn in today. Use it to check your own: match the structure and the level of detail, do not copy it. Your data and wording should be your own.
Parallel scenario (NOT today's prompt): A person once exposed to tuberculosis bacteria gets a Mantoux skin test. A tiny amount of TB protein is injected just under the skin, and 48 hours later a nurse measures the induration, the firm raised bump, in millimeters. A second person who has never been exposed to TB gets the same test. The results table shows: exposed person, 15 mm of induration; never-exposed person, 0 mm. Read the data and write a CER about immune memory.\n\nClaim: The skin-test data show that the previously exposed person carries lasting immune memory for the TB bacteria, while the never-exposed person does not.\n\nEvidence: At the same 48-hour reading, the exposed person developed 15 mm of induration at the injection site. The never-exposed person developed 0 mm of induration under identical test conditions.\n\nReasoning: The first exposure to TB caused the immune system to make memory T cells specific to that bacterium. When the test reintroduced the TB protein, those memory T cells recognized it and triggered a fast, localized response that pulled immune cells and fluid into the area, producing the firm 15 mm bump. The never-exposed person had no matching memory T cells, so nothing recognized the protein and no reaction formed, which is why the induration measured 0 mm. The difference in millimeters is the visible signature of cell-mediated immune memory: a measurable reaction means the body has met this antigen before.\n\nLimitation: A single induration measurement shows that memory exists, but it does not reveal how strong the protection is or how long it will last, and it cannot by itself distinguish past infection from a prior TB vaccine. Reactions can also vary from person to person, so one reading is not proof of full immunity.
Also due today: Submit your CER to the Schoology assignment for HBS Immune Day 4.
WebXam problem for today's skill
One exam-style question that uses exactly what you practiced today. Try it before you reveal the answer, then read why each choice is right or wrong.
Tap an answer to see the full explanation. Nothing is recorded or graded.

