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Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

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Humoral Immune Responses

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Lifecycle of Erythrocytes

Erythrocytes, also known as red blood cells, constantly move through blood capillaries. As a result, they damage their plasma membrane due to the continuous friction. Typically, after 100 to 120 days, erythrocytes become rigid and fragile as they wear out. As they pass through small vessels in the spleen and liver, they can get trapped and break apart into fragments.
The resident phagocytic macrophages deal with these damaged cells by engulfing them and separating their globin and heme groups.

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 reactivity.

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Antigen Presenting Cells

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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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

A Simple Protocol for Platelet-mediated Clumping of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in a Resource Poor Setting

A Simple Protocol for Platelet-mediated Clumping of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in a Resource Poor Setting

Published on: May 16, 2013

Primate erythrocyte-immune complex-clearing mechanism.

J B Cornacoff, L A Hebert, W L Smead

The Journal of Clinical Investigation

|February 1, 1983

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Primate erythrocytes bind circulating immune complexes (IC) and deliver them to the liver for clearance. This erythrocyte-mediated mechanism helps protect against IC-related diseases.

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Last Updated: Jul 9, 2026

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Measuring Erythrocyte Complement Receptor 1 Using Flow Cytometry

Measuring Erythrocyte Complement Receptor 1 Using Flow Cytometry

Published on: May 19, 2020

Area of Science:

Immunology
Hematology

Background:

Immune complexes (IC) that fix complement can bind to primate erythrocyte receptors.
The in vivo role of this erythrocyte receptor in IC clearance was previously unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the in vivo function of erythrocyte receptors in binding and clearing immune complexes.
To determine if erythrocyte-IC binding plays a role in the removal of IC from circulation.

Main Methods:

Infusion of preformed, radiolabeled IC into baboons and rhesus monkeys via aortic catheter.
Monitoring of IC binding to erythrocytes and clearance across kidney, liver, and spleen+gut using multiple venous catheters.
Separation of IC-bound erythrocytes from plasma/buffy coat fractions using Percoll centrifugation.

Main Results:

The majority of infused IC rapidly bound to erythrocytes in vivo.
Within 5 minutes, most IC were removed from erythrocytes during passage through the liver.
IC-bound erythrocytes were not trapped by any organ; IC in plasma were cleared slowly, primarily by the liver.

Conclusions:

Primate erythrocytes act as a crucial intermediary, intercepting circulating IC and transporting them to the liver for deposition.
This erythrocyte-mediated clearance mechanism may protect against diseases caused by circulating IC deposition.