antibody
- Noun:
- A protein produced by the immune system: An antibody is a specialized Y-shaped protein produced by white blood cells called B cells in response to the presence of a specific foreign substance (antigen) in the body.
- A neutralizing agent: Its primary function is to recognize, bind to, and help neutralize or destroy antigens like bacteria, viruses, or toxins, thereby producing an immune response.
- Noun:
- The vaccine stimulates the body to produce antibodies against the virus.
- A blood test can detect the presence of antibodies, indicating a past infection.
- Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system's ability to fight off harmful pathogens.
"Antibody titer": A measurement of the concentration or level of a specific antibody in a person's blood.
- The doctor ordered an antibody titer test to check for immunity to measles.
"Antibody-mediated immunity": Also called humoral immunity, this is the aspect of immunity that is mediated by macromolecules (like antibodies) found in extracellular fluids such as secreted antibodies.
- Antibody-mediated immunity is crucial for defending against bacterial infections.
Autoantibody (n): An antibody produced by the immune system that mistakenly targets and reacts with a person's own tissues or organs.
- The presence of certain autoantibodies is a hallmark of autoimmune diseases like lupus.
Polyclonal antibodies (n): A mixture of antibodies produced by different B cell clones in the body, which recognize and bind to many different epitopes on a single antigen.
- Monoclonal antibody (n): A laboratory-produced antibody made by identical immune cells that are all clones of a unique parent cell; they bind to one specific epitope.
- Immunoglobulin (Ig): The formal scientific term for antibody. There are five main classes: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM.
- Immune body (less common, historical term).
"Antibody response": The immune system's production of antibodies following exposure to an antigen.
- The primary antibody response is slower than the secondary response upon re-exposure.
"Neutralizing antibody": An antibody that defends a cell from an antigen or infectious body by neutralizing any biological effect it has.
- Researchers are studying whether the vaccine induces potent neutralizing antibodies.
(Note: As a highly technical scientific term, "antibody" is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions. Its usage is almost exclusively in medical, biological, and immunological contexts.)
- any of a large variety of proteins normally present in the body or produced in response to an antigen which it neutralizes, thus producing an immune response