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What is an Anti Antibody?

Troy Holmes
Troy Holmes

The immune system is an amazingly complex protection mechanism for the human body. This system monitors the body for intrusion of foreign bacteria, toxins and viruses. At times a condition exists where the human immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own antibodies with an anti antibody. An anti antibody is an antibody that destroys another antibody.

The human body has several defense mechanisms to ward off bacteria and disease. These defense chemicals are produced within the human immune system once the body recognizes a foreign intruder, typically called antigens. Autoimmune disease is a disorder of the immune system where the body has an abnormal production of antibodies directed against the tissues of the body. This form of anti antibody attacks the inner nuclear area of cells. Some examples of autoimmune disease are rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile diabetes and some cancers.

There are five different classes or types of human antibody. Each class is designed to fight specific types of toxins. These classes are protein configurations that are produced by plasma cells and typically referred to as immunoglobulins.

Scientist with beakers
Scientist with beakers

Humans blood, which moves through capillaries and other blood vessels in the body, is made up of red blood cells and white blood cells. The primary function of red blood cells is to carry oxygen from the lungs to other body cells. The function of white blood cells is to attack infections or toxins within the body. If the body mistakes an antibody as a toxin, it creates an anti antibody that destroys the antibody.

When the body is attacked by an outside intruder the immune system response is to create white blood cells to fight the invader. These white blood cells are created with a specific target and purpose. The white blood cells are always working in the human body to keep infections out but they increase in force when an intruder is detected. Each white blood cell maps to a specific human antibody.

Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow of a human. Bone marrow is the inner most area of the bone. Blood cells are then manipulated by the lymph nodes and spleen to become white blood cells, which are human antibodies. The lymph nodes within the human body are also critical for the immune system to attack infections.

The immune system is a intelligent system that learns from prior engagements. When the body is attacked by a toxin the immune system records the antibodies used during that encounter. If a future encounter occurs with the same toxin the immune system responds with the antibodies used during the prior engagement. This same process unfolds with the anti antibody. The playback response of the immune system is to destroy the antibody with the anti antibody that was used during the last battle.

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