Difference between revisions of "Antibody"
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===About Antibodies=== | ===About Antibodies=== | ||
| + | : [[Antibody|Antibodies]] attach themselves to [[chemical]]s known as [[antigen]]s which are [[protein]]s found on the surfaces of different [[pathogen]]s or other [[Cell (Biology)|cells]]. | ||
: Some '''antibodies''' can directly damage or destroy a [[pathogen]]. | : Some '''antibodies''' can directly damage or destroy a [[pathogen]]. | ||
: Some '''antibodies''' attach themselves to [[pathogen]]s to make it easier for [[phagocyte]]s to engulf and destroy them. They act like tags to tell the [[phagocyte]]s which [[Cell (Biology)|cells]] to attack. | : Some '''antibodies''' attach themselves to [[pathogen]]s to make it easier for [[phagocyte]]s to engulf and destroy them. They act like tags to tell the [[phagocyte]]s which [[Cell (Biology)|cells]] to attack. | ||
Revision as of 21:21, 11 November 2018
Key Stage 3
Meaning
An antibody is a chemical made by white blood cells that help fight infection.
Key Stage 4
Meaning
An antibody is a chemical made by lymphocytes that is used to fight pathogens.
About Antibodies
- Antibodies attach themselves to chemicals known as antigens which are proteins found on the surfaces of different pathogens or other cells.
- Some antibodies can directly damage or destroy a pathogen.
- Some antibodies attach themselves to pathogens to make it easier for phagocytes to engulf and destroy them. They act like tags to tell the phagocytes which cells to attack.
- When an organism is infected lymphocytes produce hundreds of different antibodies until one works.
- Once a lymphocyte has produce a working antibody it will remember and reproduce it any time the same pathogen infects the organism.
- If a patient's own antibodies are not able to get rid of a pathogen scientists can find and organism that makes antibodies that do work and copy them to be injected into the patient. These are called monoclonal antibodies.