What term describes the body's ability to resist infectious agents?

The term that describes the body's ability to resist infectious agents is "immunity." Immunity refers specifically to the complex biological processes that protect an organism from disease-causing pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. It encompasses various defense mechanisms, including innate immunity (the body's initial response using physical barriers and immune cells) and adaptive immunity (the more specialized and long-lasting response that develops after exposure to specific pathogens).

Understanding immunity is crucial in contexts like nail technology, where maintaining a clean and disinfected environment is vital to prevent infections that could compromise clients’ health.

While other terms such as "antigen," "infection," and "resistance" are related concepts, they do not accurately define the body's overall protective capacity against infectious agents. Antigens are substances that trigger an immune response, infections refer to the invasion and multiplication of pathogens in the body, and resistance can describe a general ability to withstand or fight off infections but does not encapsulate the full scope of biological defense mechanisms involved in immunity.