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Article: Immunity, Humoral Regulation
- Article from:
- World of Microbiology and Immunology
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Immunity, humoral regulation
One way in which the
immune system
responds to pathogens is by producing soluble proteins called antibodies. This is known as the humoral response and involves the activation of a special set of cells known as the
B lymphocytes
, because
they originate in the bone marrow. The humoral immune response helps in the control and removal of pathogens such as
bacteria
,
viruses
,
fungi
, and
parasites
before they enter host cells. The antibodies produced by the
B cells
are the mediators of this response.
The antibodies form a family of plasma proteins referred to as
immunoglobulins
. They perform two major functions. One function of an
antibody
is ...