![]() One minor difference in the way these proteins are synthesized distinguishes a naïve B cell with antibody on its surface from an antibody-secreting plasma cell with no antibodies on its surface. ![]() (In fact, surface immunoglobulin is another name for the B cell receptor.) Not surprisingly, the same genes encode both the secreted antibodies and the surface immunoglobulins. What is an antibody? An antibody protein is essentially a secreted form of a B cell receptor. Scientists now know the cause of the agglutination is an antibody molecule, also called an immunoglobulin. Thus, there was something in the serum of immune individuals that could specifically bind to and agglutinate bacteria. When a different bacterial species was used, the agglutination did not happen. The bacteria became clumped in a process called agglutination. Early microbiologists took serum from an immune patient and mixed it with a fresh culture of the same type of bacteria, then observed the bacteria under a microscope. It was already known that individuals who survived a bacterial infection were immune to re-infection with the same pathogen. Describe the structure of the antibody classes and their functionsĪntibodies were the first component of the adaptive immune response to be characterized by scientists working on the immune system.Discuss how B cells are activated and differentiate into plasma cells.Explain how B cells mature and how B cell tolerance develops.By the end of this section, you will be able to:
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