Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Humoral Immune Responses

Humoral Immune Responses

Antibody Actions

Antibody Actions

Antibodies, or immunoglobulins, are critical players in the immune system's arsenal against invading pathogens. Produced by B cells and plasma cells, their primary role is to detect and bind to specific antigens, molecules found on the surface of pathogens like bacteria or viruses. Beyond antigen recognition, antibodies perform several vital functions that contribute to immune defense.
Neutralization
Antibodies can bind to pathogens, preventing them from infecting host cells. This process...

Antibody Structure

Antibody Structure

Overview
Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins (Ig), are essential players of the adaptive immune system. These antigen-binding proteins are produced by B cells and make up 20 percent of the total blood plasma by weight. In mammals, antibodies fall into five different classes, which each elicits a different biological response upon antigen binding.
The Y-Shaped Structure of Antibodies Consists of Four Polypeptide Chains
Antibodies consist of four polypeptide chains: two identical heavy...

Tumor Immunotherapy

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and...

Antibody Structure and Classes

Antibody Structure and Classes

Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are produced by B cells in response to foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses. These proteins are critical for recognizing and neutralizing these substances, protecting the body from potential harm.
The basic structure of an antibody consists of four protein chains: two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains. These chains are held together by disulfide bonds and other non-covalent interactions, forming a Y-shaped structure.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Distinct transcription factors control tissue adaptation and effector function in infant and adult memory T cells.

Nature immunology·2026

Same author

Immune development in early life.

Nature immunology·2026

Same author

Age determines NK cell fate and tissue compartmentalization to CMV infection.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

The human antibacterial factor APOL3 couples lysosomal damage to mitochondrial DNA efflux and type I IFN induction.

Molecular cell·2026

Same author

Tissue signatures of human macrophages during homeostasis and activation.

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)·2025

Same author

Guidelines for T cell nomenclature.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Single-cell Screening Method for the Selection and Recovery of Antibodies with Desired Specificities from Enriched Human Memory B Cell Populations

Single-cell Screening Method for the Selection and Recovery of Antibodies with Desired Specificities from Enriched Human Memory B Cell Populations

Published on: August 22, 2019

Engineering antibody therapies for protective immunity

Nora Lam¹, Donna L Farber²

¹Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY.

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

|July 27, 2020

Summary

No abstract available in PubMed .

More Related Videos

Immunization of Alpacas Lama pacos with Protein Antigens and Production of Antigen-specific Single Domain Antibodies

Immunization of Alpacas Lama pacos with Protein Antigens and Production of Antigen-specific Single Domain Antibodies

Published on: January 26, 2019

Laboratory Scale Production and Purification of a Therapeutic Antibody

Laboratory Scale Production and Purification of a Therapeutic Antibody

Published on: January 24, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Single-cell Screening Method for the Selection and Recovery of Antibodies with Desired Specificities from Enriched Human Memory B Cell Populations

Single-cell Screening Method for the Selection and Recovery of Antibodies with Desired Specificities from Enriched Human Memory B Cell Populations

Published on: August 22, 2019

Immunization of Alpacas Lama pacos with Protein Antigens and Production of Antigen-specific Single Domain Antibodies

Immunization of Alpacas Lama pacos with Protein Antigens and Production of Antigen-specific Single Domain Antibodies

Published on: January 26, 2019

Laboratory Scale Production and Purification of a Therapeutic Antibody

Laboratory Scale Production and Purification of a Therapeutic Antibody

Published on: January 24, 2017