antibody

[ an-ti-bod-ee ]
/ ˈæn tɪˌbɒd i /

noun, plural an·ti·bod·ies.

any of numerous Y-shaped protein molecules produced by B cells as a primary immune defense, each molecule and its clones having a unique binding site that can combine with the complementary site of a foreign antigen, as on a virus or bacterium, thereby disabling the antigen and signaling other immune defenses. Abbreviation: Ab
antibodies of a particular type collectively.
Also called immunoglobulin.

Origin of antibody

First recorded in 1895–1900; anti- + body

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH antibody

antibody anybody (see usage note at anybody)

Example sentences from the Web for antibodies

British Dictionary definitions for antibodies

antibody
/ (ˈæntɪˌbɒdɪ) /

noun plural -bodies

any of various proteins produced in the blood in response to the presence of an antigen. By becoming attached to antigens on infectious organisms antibodies can render them harmless or cause them to be destroyed See also immunoglobulin

Medical definitions for antibodies

antibody
[ ăntĭ-bŏd′ē ]

n.

A protein substance produced in the blood or tissues in response to a specific antigen, such as a bacterium or a toxin, that destroys or weakens bacteria and neutralizes organic poisons, thus forming the basis of immunity.
An immunoglobulin present in the blood serum or body fluids as a result of antigenic stimulus and interacting only with the antigen that induced it or with an antigen closely related to it.

Scientific definitions for antibodies

antibody
[ ăntĭ-bŏd′ē ]

Any of numerous proteins produced by B lymphocytes in response to the presence of specific foreign antigens, including microorganisms and toxins. Antibodies consist of two pairs of polypeptide chains, called heavy chains and light chains, that are arranged in a Y-shape. The two tips of the Y are the regions that bind to antigens and deactivate them. Also called immunoglobulin

A Closer Look

Like other vertebrates, humans possess an effective immune system that uses antibodies to fight bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Antibodies are complex, Y-shaped protein molecules. The immune system's B lymphocytes, which are produced by the bone marrow, develop into plasma cells that can generate a huge variety of antibodies, each one capable of combining with and destroying an antigen, a foreign molecule. Antibodies react to very specific characteristics of different antigens, binding them to the top ends of their Y formation. Once the antibody and antigen combine, the antibodies deactivate the antigen or lead it to macrophages(a kind of white blood cell) that ingest and destroy it. High numbers of a particular antibody may persist for months after an invasion, eventually diminishing. However, the B cells can quickly manufacture more of the same antibody if exposure to the antigen recurs. Vaccines work by “training” B cells to recognize and react quickly to potential disease molecules.

Cultural definitions for antibodies

antibodies
[ (an-ti-bod-eez) ]

Proteins in the blood that are produced by the body in response to specific antigens (such as bacteria). (See immune system.)