Evolving Antibodies Essay -- Biology

missing diagram Evolving Antibodies The immune system is an elegant system of defense against foreign invaders. It is able to successfully recognize and distinguish between thousands of different antigens. How is such complete recognition possible considering all the various structures foreign bodies may possess? How does the body produce antibodies specific enough to counter so many different pathogens? That is the subject of the recent research article, â€Å"Structural Insights into the Evolution of an Antibody Combining Site† (published in Science) by Gary J. Wedemayer, Phillip A. Patten, Leo H. Wang, Peter G. Schultz, and Raymond C. Stevens. This paper is dedicated to exploring and explaining (in lay terms), the research presented within this paper. To continue with the exploration, click on the forward arrow at the bottom of this page. To go to any point in the site instantly, click on the links at the bottom of the page. To return to the BLC homepage click on the backward arrow at the bottom of this page or on the link â€Å"BLC† at the bottom of the page. Words in orange represent glossary terms which may be looked up by clicking on the â€Å"Glossary† link at the bottom of the page. Words in yellow represent links to other pages within this site, while words in bright blue represent external links. As soon as a foreign molecule enters the human body, the immune system immediately takes over. The foreign body, also known as an antigen, can be anything from a harmless macromolecule to an infectious agent. The body sends B-cells with surface receptor proteins, known as antibodies, to bind to the antigens with the hope of inducing a specific immune response (see diagram below). Each B-cell has surface ... ...t. The binding potential of a specific antibody is greatly expanded by the ability of germ line antibodies to undergo further mutation and adopt more than one combining-site configuration. The results imply that there is an entirely new level of antigen recognition that takes place after the germ line antibody has bound to its antigen, and that this new level of recognition significantly increases the binding potential and effectiveness of the antibody. * References Wedmayer, Gary J., Phillup A. Pattern, Leo H. Wang, Peter G. Schultz, and Raymond C. Stevens. â€Å"Structural Insights into the Evolution of an Antibody Combining Site.† Science 13 June 1997: 166-1669. Raven, Peter H., and George B. Johnson. Biology: Fourth Edition. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Publishers, 1996. Kuby, Janis. Immunology: Second Edition. New York: W.H. Freedman and Company, 1994.