Antibodies secreted by plasma cells may have several different effects - (1) They may interact with free (i.e., soluble) antigens causing precipitation; (2) They may interact with surface antigens of the pathogen (i.e., particulate antigens) causing agglutination; or (3) They may promote complement fixation. 1. Precipitation of Soluble Antigens: Antigens may have one or more antigenic determinants. If antigens contain [...]
An immune response is a two-way assault on a pathogen – the cell mediated immune response and the humoral immune response. Cell Mediated Immune Response: Cell mediated immune response is carried out by the T-cells or T lymphocytes (Fig. 11). So, it is also called T-cell immunity. This type of immune response is to defend against pathogens that may invade [...]
The upcoming discussion will update you about the difference between humoral immune system and cell mediated immune system. Differences # Humoral Immune System: 1. The humoral immune system consists of B-cells, which originate in the bone marrow and mature in the bone marrow. 2. B-cells can produce antibodies, but need exposure to foreign antigens to do so. 3. Antibodies are [...]