The production of antibodies and their roles

Antibodies are the defending soldiers of the immune system. In the context of biological science they are identified to be the Y - shaped protein structures that fight against the pathogens (foreign invaders). These biochemical protein structures are produced by a specific group of immune cells called the lymphocytes. The two types of lymphocytes associated with the production of antibodies are called the Helper T-cells and the B-cells.

Before moving further, we should know that the defensive fight between the pathogen and antibodies occurs based on the chemical interaction between the protein structures on the surface. This binding surface protein is known as the active site. The particular name for an active site of a pathogen is known as an antigen.

When a pathogen enters the bloodstream it is consumed by a macrophage. This macrophage is another immune cell called the phagocyte, it functions to engulf the pathogen and digest some parts of its body. As the process of digestion occurs within the macrophage, the active site of the pathogen or the antigen is separated and moved to the surface of the macrophage. This process is known as the antigen presentation because the proteins are being ‘presented’ to other cells. Now the Helper T-cells with matching receptors come in and bind with the presented antigens on the macrophages, and are activated. This activation leads to division of two clone cells. One clone is of active helper T-cells, which are required for the next step in the process, and the other clone is of memory cells, which will be used if the same pathogen ever invades the body again.

The B-cells are the one's that produce the matching Y-shaped antibody protein. They are activated with the help of the helper T-cells. Just like the T-cells, the B-cells also divide after activation into two clone cells. One is made up of active B-cells, or plasma cells, which secrete huge quantities of antibodies into the bloodstream. The second clone is made up of memory cells. After the antibodies are produce in the bloodstream they bind to the antigen on the macrophage and destroy them. Specific antibodies bind to specific antigen. Once the pathogens is destroyed the process restarts with the macrophages to detect and consume more pathogens.

The memory cells remain within the body to give the organism immunity to that pathogen in the future. This series of antibody production can be seen in the figure below.

The below figure suggests the modes of action of antibodies against pathogens.

(Source : Oxford IB Biology book, 2014)

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