Download Antigens and Antibodies

Antibodies
Immune System
organs
and tissues that
work together to protect
the body from infection
Immune System
includes
skin, white
blood cells, and special
proteins called
antibodies
White Blood Cells
immune
system cells that move
through blood and other body fluids
to protect the body against foreign
cells and viruses that may cause
disease
Antibodies
 large
Y-shaped
proteins found in the
blood or other body
fluids
 produced by special
white blood cells
Antibodies
 an
antibody will only
bind to a specific
antigen
like
a key that can
only open a specific
lock
Antigen
 “antibody
generator”
 a substance on the surface of a cell or virus
most
often are proteins or carbohydrates
antigens
can stimulate special white blood cells to make
antibodies
our
bodies recognize which antigens belong to us and
which antigens are “foreign”
antibodies
are only produced for foreign antigens
How do antibodies work?
 each
antibody is different
at the “tips” of the Y
they
are all built to identify
and/or attack only one
kind of antigen
How do antibodies work?
 antibodies
cause antigens to stick together
ABO Blood Types
 human
blood types
are determined by
antigens and
antibodies
 two
possible antigens
present on the outside
of human red blood
cells
ABO Blood Types
 two
antibodies
made by humans
to recognize
“foreign” blood
cell antigens
Blood
Agglutination
 when
blood types mix,
the antibodies of the
recipient may “stick to”
the antigens of the donor
blood causing clumping
or clotting
 these
“clumps” can
block blood vessels
causing heart attacks or
strokes
Rh factor Blood Types
 human
red blood cells blood also may contain a family of
antigens called the Rh factor
Rh factor Blood Types
 named
after the Rhesus monkey in which they were first
discovered
Rh factor Blood Types
 agglutination
antigens
can also occur because of the Rh factor
Rh factor and Pregnancies
 Rh
negative mothers who have a Rh positive child may
have complications in additional pregnancies involving Rh
positive children
Rh factor and Pregnancies
Pathogens
 antibodies
pathogen
attach to antigens on the outside of a
 pathogen
– a cell or virus that can cause illness
How do antibodies work?
 each
antibody is different
at the “tips” of the Y
they
are all built to identify
and/or attack only one
kind of antigen
Pathogens
 antigens
from pathogens
are recognized by our
immune systems as
foreign
 each
type of bacteria and
virus produce unique
antigens
 in
other words, each type of
antibody can only attack
one type of virus or bacteria
Pathogens
for
example, an antibody
built to attack the flu virus is
unable to help against a
cold virus
 antibodies
cause pathogen
particles to stick together
 makes
it tougher for
pathogen to move, make
toxins, and replicate
 makes
it easier for white
blood cells to attack
Immunity
after
being exposed to a
pathogen, your body
remembers the antigens
and has antibodies
prepared for the next
attack
Vaccines
substances
used to begin the
production of antibodies and
provide immunity against one or
several diseases
introduce
the body to the antigen
without inducing the disease
Types of Vaccines
Live,
attenuated vaccines
Inactivated vaccines
Subunit vaccines
Live, attenuated

contain a version of the living microbe that has been weakened in
the lab so it can’t cause disease
Inactivated Vaccines

produce inactivated vaccines by killing the disease-causing
microbe with chemicals, heat, or radiation
Subunit vaccines

instead of the entire microbe, subunit vaccines include only the
antigens that best stimulate the immune system
Herd Immunity
 immunity
to a pathogen in an entire population based
on the acquired immunity to it by a high percentage of
its members over time
 helps
protect people that can’t get vaccines
allergic
weak
to vaccine ingredients
immune systems (i.e. leukemia)
Herd Immunity

History of Vaccines Simulation
Summary
Describe
why the structure of an
antibody is important to that antibody
being able to perform its function.