Disease Antibodies

An antibody (or also known as an immunoglobulin) is typically a large protein shaped like a Y and is produced by the immune system to recognize and neutralize foreign objects that might do harm on the body (for example, a bacteria or a virus). The antibody can identify the unique part of the foreign matter—an antigen—and lock on the antigen using its Y tips. Each tip of the antibody has a paratrope (a lock-like structure) that corresponds to the epitope (a key-like structure) on the antigen, and when these two structures meet, they will be bonded together. Through this binding mechanism, the antibody tags an infected cell or a microbe for attack by the other components of the immune system. The antibody can also neutralize its target antigen directly—it can block a specific part of the microbe that is important for both its invasion and survival. The humoral immune system is directly responsible for the production of antibodies. Antibodies are produced by plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cells. There are two physical forms of antibodies: the soluble form secreted by the cell, and a membrane bound form attached to the surface of a B-Cell. This second form is also known as the B-Cell Receptor or BCR. The BCR exclusively occurs on the surface of B-Cells and is known to facilitate the activation of the cells it is bound to. They also activate the subsequent differentiation into plasma cells or memory B-Cells that will survive the immunity process and will “recall” the same antigen. This process is called “immunological memory,” with which the immune system remembers a specific antigen and will respond to it more efficiently in future encounters. This category contains scientific information on antibodies, which are blood proteins produced by the body in response to a specific disease antigen.