Resumo

VARGAS FLORES, Tania Isabel  e  TATACU FALCON, Gladys. Antígenos y Anticuerpos. Rev. Act. Clin. Med [online]. 2014, vol.44, pp. 2314-2318. ISSN 2304-3768.

ABSTRACT An antigen is a foreign molecule or substance to the organism, mainly of proteic nature, which can induce the formation of antibodies by the lymphocytes as a means of defense. Meanwhile, an antibody is a substance or molecule that causes the immune system to the presence of a foreign agent. Both components, antigen and antibody interact with epitopes which are components of the antigen to which a specific antibody to produce a specific affinity for various reactions in the body is attached. Antibodies protect the body from foreign agents who may have been exposed previously, if missing antibodies in the body, we would be immune to a case where the body can not fight off foreign substances and are at risk for multiple pathologies. The binding of an antibody to an antigen may be two immune responses by the body, one is: humoral of destroying the antigen -antibody complex and then be phagocytosed by macrophages; the other is cell reaction that destroys the containment cell antigens to prevent their proliferation, thus may act on tumor cells for subsequent destruction.

Palavras-chave : Antigen; Antibody; Immunology.