an·ti·bod·y ( n t -b d  )n. pl. an·ti·bod·ies A Y-shaped protein on the surface of B cells that is secreted into the blood or lymph in response to an antigenic stimulus, such as a bacterium, virus, parasite, or transplanted organ, and that neutralizes the antigen by binding specifically to it; an immunoglobulin. [Translation of German Antikörper : anti-, antagonistic (from Latin anti-, anti-) + Körper, body.] |   When bacteria enter a flesh wound, a B lymphocyte releases antibodies, which collect the bacteria and direct them toward a macrophage for destruction. |
antibody [ˈæntɪˌbɒdɪ]
n pl -bodies
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biochemistry) any of various proteins produced in the blood in response to the presence of an antigen. By becoming attached to antigens on infectious organisms antibodies can render them harmless or cause them to be destroyed See also immunoglobulin
| antibody (nt-bd) Any of numerous proteins produced by B lymphocytes in response to the presence of specific foreign antigens, including microorganisms and toxins. Antibodies consist of two pairs of polypeptide chains, called heavy chains and light chains, that are arranged in a Y-shape. The two tips of the Y are the regions that bind to antigens and deactivate them. Also called immunoglobulin. A Closer Look Like other vertebrates, humans possess an effective immune system that uses antibodies to fight bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Antibodies are complex, Y-shaped protein molecules. The immune system's B lymphocytes, which are produced by the bone marrow, develop into plasma cells that can generate a huge variety of antibodies, each one capable of combining with and destroying an antigen, a foreign molecule. Antibodies react to very specific characteristics of different antigens, binding them to the top ends of their Y formation. Once the antibody and antigen combine, the antibodies deactivate the antigen or lead it to macrophages(a kind of white blood cell) that ingest and destroy it. High numbers of a particular antibody may persist for months after an invasion, eventually diminishing. However, the B cells can quickly manufacture more of the same antibody if exposure to the antigen recurs. Vaccines work by "training" B cells to recognize and react quickly to potential disease molecules. |  |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | antibody - any of a large variety of proteins normally present in the body or produced in response to an antigen which it neutralizes, thus producing an immune response active site - the part of an enzyme or antibody where the chemical reaction occurs protein - any of a large group of nitrogenous organic compounds that are essential constituents of living cells; consist of polymers of amino acids; essential in the diet of animals for growth and for repair of tissues; can be obtained from meat and eggs and milk and legumes; "a diet high in protein" autoantibody - an antibody acting against tissues of the organism that produces it precipitin - an antibody that causes precipitation when it unites with its antigen ABO antibodies - blood type antibodies Rh antibody - rhesus factor antibody antitoxin - an antibody that can neutralize a specific toxin agglutinin - an antibody that causes agglutination of a specific antigen Forssman antibody, heterophil antibody, heterophile antibody - an antibody found in the blood of someone suffering from infectious mononucleosis alloantibody, isoantibody - an antibody that occurs naturally against foreign tissues from a person of the same species monoclonal, monoclonal antibody - any of a class of antibodies produced in the laboratory by a single clone of cells or a cell line and consisting of identical antibody molecules opsonin - an antibody in blood serum that attaches to invading microorganisms and other antigens to make them more susceptible to the action of phagocytes Ig, immune gamma globulin, immune globulin, immune serum globulin, immunoglobulin - a class of proteins produced in lymph tissue in vertebrates and that function as antibodies in the immune response |
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