Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Antibodies

Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine

  • 50 Accesses

Synonyms

Immunoglobulins

Definition (and Description)

Antibodies are proteins secreted by white blood cells (B lymphocytes). Their task is to circulate in the body and tag, destroy, or neutralize bacteria, viruses, or other harmful or foreign materials (antigens). They do this by opsonizing or coating foreign materials which marks them for destruction or neutralization.

Antibodies are also called immunoglobulins (Ig), which are present on the surface of B cells and act as receptors for foreign materials. Immunoglobulins can be classified into several classes, IgA, IgE, IgM, IgG, and IgD, some of which have further subtypes. Each type of antibody has a range of different immune functions. IgA is found at the mucosal surfaces (e.g., mouth, nose, gastrointestinal tract) and can be measured in saliva. IgM is the first type of antibody produced in response to a novel foreign material. IgG is the most common antibody found in the body.

Cross-References

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References and Further Readings

  • Goldsby, R. A., Kindt, T. J., Osborne, B. A., & Kuby, J. (2003). Immunology (5th ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janeway, C. A. J., Travers, P., Walport, M., & Schlomchik, M. J. (2005). Immunobiology: The immune system in health and disease (6th ed.). London: Taylor and Francis.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, Birmingham, UK

    Anna C. Phillips

Authors
  1. Anna C. Phillips
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anna C. Phillips .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA

    Marc Gellman

  2. Campbell University School of Pharmacy, Buies Creek, North Carolina, USA

    J. Rick Turner

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this entry

Cite this entry

Phillips, A.C. (2015). Antibodies. In: Gellman, M., Turner, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_439-2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_439-2

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Antibodies
    Published:
    20 June 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_439-3

  2. Original

    Antibodies
    Published:
    14 November 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_439-2

Search

Navigation