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 [...]
In this article we will discuss about the humoral immunity of immune response. The immune system protects the body from potentially harmful substances by recognizing and responding to antigens. Antigens are foreign particles, normally large or small molecules on the surface of cells, viruses, fungi or bacteria. Some non-living substances such as toxins, chemicals, drugs and foreign particles can also [...]