The humoral immune response is also known as antibody-mediated immunity. This response deals with antigens from pathogens circulating or are outside the infected cells.
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The word âHumorsâ means body fluids, and humoral immunity is derived from immunity mediated by extracellular fluids which contain macromolecules such as antimicrobial peptides, antibodies, etc. It is also known as antibody mediated immune response or humoral immune response.
The bone marrow is a soft sponge-like organ that is present inside the bones of the body.
Stem cells within the bone marrow produce red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets that are actively involved in the body's immune system.
B lymphocytes or B cells, produced by the bone marrow, are the major constituents in the humoral mediated immunity and circulate in the body through the lymph or blood.
They mature in the secondary lymphoid tissues after they are produced (the tonsils, lymph nodes, spleen, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue).
Initially, general B cells produce antibodies that bind to the surface and remain there, allowing their exposed antigen-binding site to pick up any potential petitions or foreign body signals. This attached form of an antibody is called immunoglobulin.
Three major defense mechanisms are adopted by antibodies and involved in the humoral mediated immunity to destroy antigens that they detect in the body's circulatory system: neutralization, opsonization, and the complement system.
1. Neutralization
This mechanism involves neutralizing the pathogen by getting involved in its infecting ability. Consider the example of a virus. The antibody prevents the entry or ability of the virus to attach to the target cells. This stops the virus infection in the body.
2. Opsonization
In this mechanism, the antibodies coat the antigen to make it recognizable for elimination by phagocytes. The antigen-binding complex attracts and causes phagocytic cells to engulf and eliminate the circulating pathogen through phagocytosis.
3. The Complement System
1. What is a humoral immune response?
It is a branch of immunity that involves substances found in the body fluids of humans and is predominantly mediated by antibodies.
2. What is an example of the humoral immune response?
Innate immunity is an example that includes the body's complement system and other substances such as interferons And interleukin-1.
3. What are the four steps of the humoral immune response?
4. What is humoral immune response?
It is a quick response to foreign invaders such as pathogens that infect healthy human cells. Antibodies are produced by B cells which bind the antigens and neutralize them.
5. What causes humoral immunity?
Exposure to foreign pathogens or toxins initiates humoral immunity.
6. What is the meaning of humoral?
Humoral relates to or anything from a fluid of the body and Humoral immune response involves antibodies reacting to and destroying pathogens that try to invade human cells.
7. Where does humoral immunity occur?
It is initiated in the bone marrow, where B cells are produced, then released into the circulatory system, which is the blood or lymph.
8. What is a humoral immune response in biology?
The immune response involves transforming B cells into plasma cells, which then produce specific antibodies to certain antigens.
9. Why is humoral immunity important?
It is important in host defense to secondary infection by the same pathogen as memory B cells produce specific antibodies to target antigens. This is important in the concept of vaccination as primary exposure to parts of antigens causes the production of memory B cells which release antibodies to the vaccine antigen. On secondary exposure to the same pathogen, the memory B cells will produce antibodies to that pathogen and destroy it.
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