Index >> Blood Group Inheritance and Immunogenetics >> Antigen and Antibody Reaction

Antigen-antibody reaction
Whenever any foreign micromolecule or macromolecule (e.g., protein) is injected in the blood of man and other higher verte brates, than the blood will react to eliminate or neutralize or immune that "foreign" substance from it. Such foreign substances are called agglutinogens or antigens. The antigen may be plant or animal proteins or bacterial or viral toxins. The response to the appearance of such an antigen in the blood, is the eiaboration or production of another protein molecule which will superficially combine or interact with the antigen in same way. This second protein which is produced in the blood to immune an antigen, is called immune body or agglutinins or antibody.
The antibodies are produced by the modifications of molecules of gamma globulin proteins which are synthesized by plasma cells. The interaction between antibody and antigen changes the form of the antigen in some way, so that, it can be destroyed, inactivated, phagocytized or otherwise eliminated from blood circulation.