RESEARCH
INTERESTING FACTS
Your body has many defense mechanisms which all play an important role in protecting your body. Through out this project I have concentrated on antibodies, and their role in your body's defense system. However, seeing that antibodies are just one little part of the immune system, I have tried to list and explain some more of the defenses which play a vital role in helping antibodies.
HISTORY
In 1948 scientists managed to isolate the group of white blood cells which make antibodies. After that time the cells which make antibodies became know as B-Lymphocytes or "B-Cells" for short, because they are made in the bone marrow.
WHERE ANTIBODIES COME FROM
B-cells, which are made in bone marrow, produce antibodies. IgD, and IgM form on the B-cell before it is finished developing in the bone marrow. B-cells differentiate when they are affected by certain chemicals. This is how they change to be able to produce different classes of antibodies [IgM, IgG, IgA, as well as some free circulating IgD and IgM]. After development, they are ready to go on patrol. Until they come in contact with antigen they are called naïve. An antibody is made up of amino acids, formed like chains. They are internal to our bodies. These things we now call antibodies have been a key element from the dawn of time to now in keeping us alive. Antibodies [which are everywhere in our bodies] have literally helped to keep us alive.
ANTIBODIES AND HOW THEY WORK
The antibodies' ability to recognize a specific antigen [foreign invader] plays 3 vital roles in the defense system. Those roles include opsonization, activating complement system, and neutralizing toxins and toxic organisms [such as viruses and bacteria]. Sometimes an antibody travels inside a white blood cell. Also known as a B-cell. They are a very important part of our immune system. Antibodies are not visible to the human eye.
1- Opsonization
Opsonization is when viruses, bacteria and infected cells get tagged by antibodies. Antibodies are the tags that attach on at the arms of the Y onto the antigen. From there the antibody emits a signal, like a homing beacon for the Phagocytes to come and eat the antigen.
2-Activating complement system
Antibodies have the ability to signal the complement system in times of need. The complement system are proteins that have the ability to deal with antigens in different ways. [1] The proteins lock onto the antigen and coat it thus rendering it paralyzed then the signal something to come and eat it. [2] Another way is they attach onto the antigen and begin to poke holes in it, then water gets into the antigen and it dies.
3-Neutralizing toxins and toxic organisms
The antibody attaches onto the toxins and coats them so they don't cause damage. Then it signals something to come and dispose of it.
ALSO
there are a couple ways that a your body recognizes foreign invaders. [A]1-One of them is a T-cell. When a T-cell goes by something its receptors check the object, and if its not harmful it leaves it alone but if it is potentially harmful it sends a message to the antibodies to go the site of the infection. 2-Once the T-cell has recognized the antigen it clones itself. [B]1-The other way is when free floating antibodies go by an antigen and if it's a good fit it attaches to the antigen and then signals the phagocytes to come and eat it. 2-Then after finding the right fit the B-cell is signaled to clone itself to produce more of the same antibodies. The part on the antigen that is recognized by a T-cell receptor or an antibody is called an epitope. There can be hundreds of epitopes on one antigen molecule. This is good because it gives the body more chances for different antibodies to attach.
PHAGOCYTES
Are a grouping of white blood cells that the antibody signals once it has attached onto the antigen. These cells are capable of devouring other cells. This grouping includes the following:
Neutrophil
Monocyte
Macrophage
WHAT ARE ANTIGENS?
Antigens are a wide variety of harmful things that could cause potential harm to your body. They include bacteria and their toxins, viruses, malignant cells, etcetera..
WHAT ANTIBODIES LOOK LIKE
Antibodies are made up of 4 amino acids chains. Two identical light chains and two identical heavy chains. The tip of the chains [variable region/arms of the "Y"-FAB ends] are used to catch antigens. The antibody chains are formed into a "Y" shape. The variable region is the area on the antibody that attaches onto the antigen. NOTE the variable regions are never the same, and each can only attach to one specific antigen binding site.[Each antigen has many different types of binding sites so it may have many, many antibodies attached on to it.] The constant part of the heavy chain decides which of the 5 major classes the antibody fits into. Each heavy chain is about 450 amino acids long, and the light chain has only 250. Hence the name heavy chain because it's almost double the weight of the light chain. Both FAB ends of a single antibody are the same. However, each antibody has a different FAB molecular surface from the next antibody.
DIFFERENT CLASSES [ISOTOPES] OF ANTIBODIES
There are trillions of antibodies that each have a different molecular surface. There are 5 major classes [isotopes] of antibodies. They include IgM, IgG, IgE, IgA, and IgD. Each of these classes has different sequences in their heavy chains that is located at the base of the antibody. In the constant section of the antibodies' heavy chain the type of antibody depends on the sequence in the heavy chain. Each of those antibodies are located in a specific area in your body. Each has a different way of alerting the immune system to deal with the antigen.
