<P> An antibody ( Ab ) , also known as an immunoglobulin ( Ig ) , is a large , Y - shaped protein produced mainly by plasma cells that is used by the immune system to neutralize pathogens such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses . The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the pathogen , called an antigen , via the Fab 's variable region . Each tip of the `` Y '' of an antibody contains a paratope ( analogous to a lock ) that is specific for one particular epitope ( similarly analogous to a key ) on an antigen , allowing these two structures to bind together with precision . Using this binding mechanism , an antibody can tag a microbe or an infected cell for attack by other parts of the immune system , or can neutralize its target directly ( for example , by blocking a part of a microbe that is essential for its invasion and survival ) . Depending on the antigen , the binding may impede the biological process causing the disease or may activate macrophages to destroy the foreign substance . The ability of an antibody to communicate with the other components of the immune system is mediated via its Fc region ( located at the base of the `` Y '' ) , which contains a conserved glycosylation site involved in these interactions . The production of antibodies is the main function of the humoral immune system . </P>
<P> An antibody ( Ab ) , also known as an immunoglobulin ( Ig ) , is a large , Y - shaped protein produced mainly by plasma cells that is used by the immune system to neutralize pathogens such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses . The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the pathogen , called an antigen , via the Fab 's variable region . Each tip of the `` Y '' of an antibody contains a paratope ( analogous to a lock ) that is specific for one particular epitope ( similarly analogous to a key ) on an antigen , allowing these two structures to bind together with precision . Using this binding mechanism , an antibody can tag a microbe or an infected cell for attack by other parts of the immune system , or can neutralize its target directly ( for example , by blocking a part of a microbe that is essential for its invasion and survival ) . Depending on the antigen , the binding may impede the biological process causing the disease or may activate macrophages to destroy the foreign substance . The ability of an antibody to communicate with the other components of the immune system is mediated via its Fc region ( located at the base of the `` Y '' ) , which contains a conserved glycosylation site involved in these interactions . The production of antibodies is the main function of the humoral immune system . </P>
what is the role of antibodies in the immune response
what is the role of antibodies in the immune response
neutralize pathogens
neutralize pathogens