THE ADAPTIVE IMMUNE SYSTEM

II. HUMORAL IMMUNITY

A. ANTIBODIES (IMMUNOGLOBULINS)

1. An Overview

Fundamental Statements for this Learning Object:

1.Humoral Immunity refers to the production of antibody molecules in response to an antigen.
2. Humoral immunity is most effective microbes or their toxins located in the extracellular spaces of the body.
3. Antibodies or immunoglobulins are specific glycoprotein configurations produced by B-lymphocytes and plasma cells in response to a specific antigen and capable of reacting with that antigen.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THIS SECTION

Adaptive (acquired) immunity refers to antigen-specific defense mechanisms that take several days to become protective and are designed to remove a specific antigen (def). This is the immunity one develops throughout life. There are two major branches of the adaptive immune responses: humoral immunity and cell-mediated immunity.

1. humoral immunity (def): humoral immunity involves the production of antibody molecules in response to an antigen (def) and is mediated by B-lymphocytes.

2. cell-mediated immunity (def): Cell-mediated immunity involves the production of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, activated macrophages, activated NK cells, and cytokines in response to an antigen (def) and is mediated by T-lymphocytes.

We will now take a look at antibodies.

Antibodies (Immunoglobulins): An Overview

Humoral Immunity refers to the production of antibody molecules in response to an antigen (def). These antibody molecules circulate in the plasma of the blood and enter tissue and organs via the inflammatory response. Humoral immunity is most effective microbes or their toxins located in the extracellular spaces of the body.

Antibodies or immunoglobulins (def) are specific glycoprotein configurations produced by B-lymphocytes and plasma cells in response to a specific antigen and capable of reacting with that antigen.

In this section we will look at the structure of antibodies, the 5 classes or isotypes of human antibodies, generation of antibody diversity, clonal selection and clonal expansion, and memory (anamnestic) response.

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Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology
The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work The Grapes of Staph at https://cwoer.ccbcmd.edu/science/microbiology/index_gos.html.