A world of germs is vying to invade your body and make you sick. Luckily, your immune system can assemble a mighty army to protect you. Think of this system as your own personal team of superheroes. They are dedicated to keeping you safe.
And antibodies are among their strongest ammunition. Also called immunoglobulins (Ih-mue-noh-GLOB-you-linz), or Ig’s, these are a family of proteins.
The job of these antibodies is to locate and attack “foreign” proteins — that is, proteins that don’t appear to belong in the body.
These foreign invaders contain substances the body doesn’t recognize. Known as antigens, these can be parts of bacteria, viruses or other microbes. Pollen and other things that cause allergies can have antigens, too. If someone is given blood that doesn’t match their blood type — during surgery, for instance — those blood cells can host antigens.
Antigens attach to the outside of certain white blood cells. These cells are known as B cells (short for B lymphocytes). The antigen’s binding triggers the B cells to divide. This causes them to transform into plasma cells. Plasma cells then secrete millions of antibodies. Those antibodies travel through the body’s blood and lymph systems, hunting for the source of those antigens.
