mótefnisframleiðslu

Mótefnisframleiðsla, also known as antibody production, is a fundamental process within the adaptive immune system of vertebrates. It involves specialized white blood cells called B lymphocytes, or B cells, which are responsible for generating antibodies. These Y-shaped proteins are crucial for recognizing and neutralizing foreign invaders like bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.

The process begins when a B cell encounters an antigen, a molecule typically found on the surface of a pathogen. This encounter triggers the B cell to activate. Upon activation, the B cell undergoes a rapid proliferation, dividing and differentiating into two main types of cells: plasma cells and memory B cells. Plasma cells are essentially antibody factories, producing and secreting vast quantities of antibodies specific to the encountered antigen. These antibodies then circulate in the bloodstream and other bodily fluids.

Memory B cells, on the other hand, are long-lived cells that remain in the body after the infection has been cleared. They provide immunological memory, meaning that if the same pathogen is encountered again, the immune response will be much faster and more effective due to the presence of these pre-primed cells. This rapid secondary response is the basis of vaccination. Antibodies work through various mechanisms to eliminate pathogens, including agglutination (clumping pathogens together), neutralization (blocking pathogens from infecting cells), and opsonization (marking pathogens for destruction by other immune cells).