Humoral response notes

• Antibodies are proteins that recognise and bind to specificantigens

• Antigens are foreign substancesthat stimulate the production of antibodies

• Many of the molecules on the surface of viruses and bacteria are antigens

 

B-lymphocytes

-made in bone marrow

-mature in the spleen

-pcells (plasma cells) produce initial antibody production for primary response.

-mcells (memory cells) remain dormant until activated by the presence of the antigen and then produce antibodies of the seconary response.

 So

•If an antigen invades your body a second time, a much faster response occurs which produces much larger quantity of the required antibody.

•When activated B-cells are dividing during the primary response, some cells stop dividing and secreting antibody and become  memory cells.

• Large numbers of memory cells remain in the body for a long time…

• …they are capable of producing large amounts of antibody very quickly when stimulated.