Page 38 - The Miracle in the Immune System
P. 38
ntibodies are protein-structured weapons,
which are manufactured to fight against the for-
eign cells entering the human body. These weapons are
produced by the B cells, a class of warriors of the im-
mune system.
Antibodies destroy invaders. They have two main
functions: The first is to bind to the invader cell, which
is the antigen. The second is to decompose the biolog-
ical structure of the antigen and destroy it.
Swimming in the blood and non-cellular fluid, anti-
bodies bind to disease-causing bacteria and viruses.
They mark the foreign molecules to which they bind, so
that the body's fighter cells can distinguish them. This
way, they also inactivate them. This resembles a tank
becoming useless and unable to move or fire shells
when it is hit by a guided missile in the battleground. An
antibody fits the enemy (antigen) perfectly, just like a
key and a lock assembling in a three-dimensional struc-
ture.
