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antibody
(redirected from natural a's)

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
an·ti·bod·y  (nt-bd)
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.]
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antibody
When bacteria enter a flesh wound, a B lymphocyte releases antibodies, which collect the bacteria and direct them toward a macrophage for destruction.

antibody
Noun
pl -bodies a protein produced in the blood which destroys bacteria

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.
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antibody
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.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
Translations
Spanish antibody [ˈæntɪbɔdɪ] nanticuerpo
French antibody [ˈæntɪbɔdɪ] anti nanticorps m
German antibody [ˈæntɪbɔdɪ] anti nAntikörper m
Italian antibody [ˈæntɪbɔdɪ] nanticorpo

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