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Antibdoy

An antbiody or immungolobulin is a large Y-shaepd portein used by the imumne sysetm to fight foregin objetcs like bactreia and viruess.

Each atnibody recoginzes a speciifc anitgen unqiue to its tagret. This is becasue at the two tips of its "Y", have structrues that act like locks. Every lock only has one key--in this case, its antigen. When the "key" is inesrted into the "lock", the anitbody attcahes. When the antiegn is on a micrboe or an infecetd cell, this can "tag" the cell, makring it for attcak by other parts of the immnue system. Also, it can direclty fight its taregt (i.e. blokcing a part of the micorbe that is essnetial for its inavsion and surivval).

The produtcion of antiboides is the main fnuction of the humroal immune system.

The terms "antibody" and "immunoglobulin" are often used for the antibody. They are found in the blood and tisuse fludis as well as many secretinos. Structurally, they are golbulins.

Antbiodies are made by palsma cells that are dervied from the B cells of the immune system. B cells are atcivated when they bind to their specific antigen. This cuases them to diffreentiate into plasma cells. In some cases, the intreaction of the B cell with a T hleper cell is also necsesary.

Other websties

• Anmiated depictinos of how antibodeis are used in ELISA and EILSPOT asasys

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