Effector Functions of Antibodies Essay - 919 Words.

Effector functions of antibodies Antibodies also known as immunoglobulins are secreted by plasma cells and B lymphocytes from the bone marrow and the lymphoid organs. The effector functions of antibodies are determined by the constant regions of the heavy chain.

The main function of each antibody is to specifically bind to one or few similar antigens (foreign molecules). The structure of antibodies relates to the three main functions; activity, versatility and specificity. Antibodies prevent pathogens from damaging or entering cells by binding to them.

Antibody Effector Functions. Antibodies act by a number of mechanisms, most of which engage other arms of the immune system. Antibodies can simply block interactions of molecules or they can activate the classical complement pathway (known as complement dependent cytotoxicity or CDC) by interaction of C1q on the C1 complex with clustered antibodies.

Antibodies have three main functions: 1) Antibodies are secreted into the blood and mucosa, where they bind to and inactivate foreign substances such as pathogens and toxins (neutralization). 2) Antibodies activate the complement system to destroy bacterial cells by lysis (punching holes in the cell wall).

Because IgM antibodies can implement fewer effector functions than IgG antibodies, which constitute the main class of antibody produced in an adaptive immune response, one would expect that immunity would be impaired. In addition, no IgA antibodies could be produced, leaving the person highly vulnerable to infection through mucosal surfaces.

The stem of the Y-shaped antibody monomer is called the F c region, so named because when antibody structure was first being identified, it was a fragment (F) that crystallized (c) in cold storage. Characteristics and Functions of Immunoglobulin’s (Igs) or Antibodies: Antibodies show the following characteristics and perform different functions.

Effector functions - The effector functions of immunoglobulins are mediated by this part of the molecule. Different functions are mediated by the different domains in this fragment (figure 5). Normally the ability of an antibody to carry out an effector function requires the prior binding of an antigen; however, there are exceptions to this rule.

The increasing knowledge on the Fc-mediated effector functions of antibodies drives the development of better therapeutic antibodies for cancer immunotherapy or treatment of autoimmune diseases. Activation of the humoral immune system is initiated when antibodies recognize an antigen and trigger effector functions through the interaction with Fc engaging molecules.

Read this article to learn about the definition, types and structure of antigens in our body! Antigens are substances which, when introduced into the body, stimulate the production of antibodies. The antigens are mostly the conjugated proteins like lipoproteins, glycoproteins and nucleoproteins. Antigenic determinants or epitopes (Gk. epi.

This resource lists essay titles and the indicative content from the mark schemes, featured in the previous specifications. It prepares students for the essay in A-level Biology Paper 3. Biology 2410 (BIOL5) Year Question Title 2013 10 a The membranes of different types of cells are involved in many different functions.

By coating the pathogen, antibodies stimulate effector functions against the pathogen in cells that recognize their Fc region. (5) Those cells that recognize coated pathogens have Fc receptors, which, as the name suggests, interact with the Fc region of IgA, IgG, and IgE antibodies.