An antibody also known as immunoglobulin is a Y-shape protective
protein produced by the immune system in response to the presence of a foreign
substance, called an antigen. Antibodies recognize and latch onto antigens in
order to remove them from the body. A wide range of substances are regarded by
the body as antigens, including disease-causing organisms and toxic materials
such as insect venom.
When an alien substance enters the body, the immune system
is able to recognize it as foreign because molecules on the surface of the
antigen differ from those found in the body. To eliminate the invader, the
immune system calls on a number of mechanisms, including one of the most
important — antibody production. Antibodies are produced by specialized white
blood cells called B lymphocytes or B cells. When an antigen binds to the
B-cell surface, it stimulates the B cell to divide and mature into a group of
identical cells called a clone. The mature B cells, called plasma cells,
secrete millions of antibodies into the bloodstream and lymphatic system.
As antibodies circulate, they attack and neutralize antigens that are identical to the one that triggered the immune response. Antibodies attack antigens by binding to them. The binding of an antibody to a toxin, for example, can neutralize the poison simply by changing its chemical composition; such antibodies are called antitoxins. By attaching themselves to some invading microbes, other antibodies can render such microorganisms immobile or prevent them from penetrating body cells. In other cases the antibody-coated antigen is subject to a chemical chain reaction resulting in bursting of the invading microbe or attracting microbe-killing scavenger cells that ingest, or engulf the invader. Once begun, antibody production continues for several days until all antigen molecules are removed. Antibodies remain in circulation for several months, providing extended immunity against that particular antigen.
B cells and antibodies together provide one of the most important
functions of immunity, which is to recognize an invading antigen and to produce
a tremendous number of protective proteins that scour the body to remove all
traces of that antigen. Collectively B cells recognize an almost limitless
number of antigens; however, individually each B cell can bind to only one type
of antigen. B cells distinguish antigens through proteins, called antigen
receptors, found on their surfaces.
(Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Britannica
and Wikipedia)