This activity matches just five kinds of antibodies and five kinds of antigens. This process of antibody production and “cleaning”-represented in the activity by the plastic bag “gobbling up” the globs of material-continues for a few days until the pathogen is removed. These agglutinations attract phagocytes that find, ingest, and digest them, eliminating the dangerous pathogen and infected cells from the body. As you may have noticed in the activity, the fit isn’t always perfect, but in the body, it continues to improve as the B cells make more and more antibodies.īecause the unique Y-shape of the antibody creates two binding sites for antigens, multiple antigens and antibodies can clump together, creating globs of cells called agglutinations. Those antibodies seek out and bind to specific antigens, disarming them, and stopping further spread of the pathogen. Plasma cells produce and release millions of antibodies into the bloodstream and lymphatic system. Some become antibody-making factories called plasma cells, and some become memory cells, which retain the “memory” of that particular antigen for the future. Once the match takes place, the B cells divide rapidly. Because there are only a few B cells with antibodies that match any given antigen, the first contact with a specific antigen initiates a response that might take several days to become effective. This joining takes place in the lymph nodes, on the surface of a specialized immune cell called a B cell. In response, the body’s immune system launches a cascade of complex processes that end up with the antigen from the outside invader binding with a matching antibody. The newly copied viruses then exit the cells and spread throughout the body. Pathogens can invade your body through breaks in the skin, or through mucous membranes in your eyes, nose, and mouth, creating internal infections. While bacteria often grow in the fluids between your cells, and can reproduce and spread through the body via the bloodstream, viruses have a different strategy. Viruses cannot reproduce on their own, so they insert their genetic material into your cells and use them as virus-making factories. While this is not the first step in a real immune response, it is an important one that is unique to humans and higher vertebrates, and allows for the body to target specific pathogens and remember them in preparation for future contact. This activity is a simple model of the adaptive immune response, one part of the human body’s immune system response. How might this process help the body fight an infection? Phagocytes-another type of cell in your immune system-are attracted to connected collections of antibodies and antigens like these, and recognize them as trash. Your plastic garbage bag is your phagocyte! Have the bag engulf, ingest (gobble up), and eliminate these large globs of material. Are the matches always perfect? Can an antibody connect to more than one antigen? Can an antibody connect to more than one type of antigen? What happens as a result of the antigens connecting to the antibodies?Īttach as many antibodies to antigens as you can, and notice that eventually all the antigens become trapped in interconnected groups. Slide the antibodies across the surface and connect them to their matching antigens. What do you notice about the antibodies? Are there any similarities among them? Any differences? What do you notice about the antigens? Are there any similarities among them? Any differences?Īntibodies (represented by the white shapes) are proteins produced by B cells, which are specialized cells produced by your immune system. Move all of the antibodies to one side and all of the antigens to the other.Īntigens (represented by the colored shapes) are proteins found on the surface of pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and other foreign invaders to the body. Place all the antigens and antibodies on a flat surface, such as a table or the floor (this surface represents the body).
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