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Each antibody binds to a specific antigen in a highly specific interaction analogous to a lock and key.. An antibody (Ab) or immunoglobulin (Ig) is a large, Y-shaped protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily which is used by the immune system to identify and neutralize antigens such as bacteria and viruses, including those that cause disease.
Humoral immunity is also referred to as antibody-mediated immunity. The study of the molecular and cellular components that form the immune system , including their function and interaction, is the central science of immunology .
A single antibody molecule has two antigen receptors and therefore contains twelve CDRs total. There are three CDR loops per variable domain in antibodies. Sixty CDRs can be found on a pentameric IgM molecule, which is composed of five antibodies and has increased avidity as a result of the collective affinity of all antigen-binding sites combined.
Scheme of the complement system. The complement system, also known as complement cascade, is a part of the humoral, innate immune system and enhances (complements) the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to clear microbes and damaged cells from an organism, promote inflammation, and attack the pathogen's cell membrane. [1]
Antibody crystallizable region (Fc) 3. Heavy chains 4. Light chains 5. Variable region of the antibody. The paratope is the key-shaped section that makes direct contact with the antigen. [1] 6. Hinge regions . In immunology, a paratope, also known as an antigen-binding site, is the part of an antibody which recognizes and binds to an antigen.
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a type of antibody (or immunoglobulin (Ig) "isoform") that has been found only in mammals. IgE is synthesised by plasma cells. Monomers of IgE consist of two heavy chains (ε chain) and two light chains, with the ε chain containing four Ig-like constant domains (Cε1–Cε4). [1]
An antibody is made up of two heavy chains and two light chains. The unique variable region allows an antibody to recognize its matching antigen. [73] A B cell identifies pathogens when antibodies on its surface bind to a specific foreign antigen. [74] This antigen/antibody complex is taken up by the B cell and processed by proteolysis into ...
Plasma cells can only produce a single kind of antibody in a single class of immunoglobulin. In other words, every B cell is specific to a single antigen, but each cell can produce several thousand matching antibodies per second. [14] This prolific production of antibodies is an integral part of the humoral immune response. [citation needed]