The function of antibodies in the immune system.

Our body is constantly defended against organisms from around us and against other attacking invaders by our vital immune system. The soldiers that will perform this function are called antibodies. The malicious attackers that try to invade our body and create infections and diseases are called antigens. How is this defense line organized, how do antibodies in the immune system function? This is how the immune system works and how the antibodies in the immune system do their main job. When the immune system is threatened by attacks from substances and/or organisms, invading the body and so cause diseases, there will be a counter reaction: the response of the antibodies in the immune system. This response consists of a series of reactions, in which all defensive elements of the immune system will work together in the right order. These elements are cells, tissues, and organs, all participating together to protect our body. The cells mentioned here are the white blood cells, also called leukocytes. There are two basic types of leukocytes, capable of detecting and destroying substances and organisms that can cause diseases. These two kinds of white blood cells are the phagocytes, cells that will consume attacking organisms, and the lymphocytes, cells that make it possible for the immune system of our body to remember and recognize attackers from previous invasions and help the system to destroy them. So lymphocytes play an enormous part in the functioning of antibodies in the immune system. As they remember the important information of former attacks on the body with stuff that tries to make us ill, they are able to respond very early when the body is under attack by a known ill maker. This means a very quick and apt action can be taken by our immune system. The two kinds of lymphocytes that will perform these actions are called B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes, also called B-cells and T-cells. All lymphocytes are produced in the bone marrow. When they stay there, they will develop into B-cells. When they move to the thymus, they will grow up as T-cells. These two types of lymphocytes or cells have different functions to perform. The B-cells are able to detect the invading organisms and organize the defensive actions of the combined forces of the immune system. They do this by producing different and specialized proteins, which are the antibodies. For every specific antigen a specific antibody will be produced. Once these antibodies exist in our body, the will stay present, even after defeating the invading organisms. The memory function of the B-cells make it possible to recognize the same invaders by a next attack, so that the existing antibodies can react in an early stage and prevent us from getting a disease we already had in our life. For most diseases it means that you will get it only once in a lifetime.

This is the reason why immunizations help the system preventing certain diseases. Some small dose of antigens will not make us sick, but will trigger the immune system to make the right antibodies, that will stay in our body and defend us. So antibodies can detect and recognize antigens, they need help in the destruction of the antigens. destroying it without help. When the enemy is spotted and tagged, T-cells, of which a part develop into the specialized T- Killer-cells, will destroy the invaders. Next to this important job the T-cells help signaling other cells in the immune system to play their part in the defense system and assist the antibodies in the immune system. what are antibodies news