Antistoffrespons

Antistoffrespons refers to the process by which an organism's immune system produces antibodies in response to the presence of an antigen. Antigens are typically foreign substances, such as components of bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens, that are recognized as non-self by the immune system. Upon encountering an antigen, specific B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, are activated. These B cells then proliferate and differentiate into plasma cells. Plasma cells are specialized factories that secrete large quantities of antibodies. Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins that bind specifically to the antigen that triggered their production. This binding can neutralize the antigen directly, for example, by preventing a virus from entering a host cell, or it can mark the antigen for destruction by other components of the immune system, such as phagocytic cells. The antistoffrespons is a crucial part of adaptive immunity, providing a highly specific and memory-based defense against infections. The initial production of antibodies is called the primary response, which is typically slower and produces lower levels of antibodies. Subsequent exposure to the same antigen elicits a secondary response, which is faster, stronger, and produces higher affinity antibodies due to immunological memory. This principle is the basis for vaccination, which introduces weakened or inactivated antigens to stimulate an antistoffrespons without causing disease, thereby preparing the immune system for future encounters.