Antibodies: An antibody is a protein component of

An antibody is a protein component of the immune system that circulates in the blood, recognizes foreign substances like bacteria and viruses, and neutralizes them. The rest of an antibody's structure is much less variable; in humans, antibodies occur in five classes or isotypes: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM. Human IgG and IgA antibodies are also divided into discrete subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4; IgA1 and IgA2). Antibodies are proteins that help your immune system respond to infections and illnesses by attaching to pathogens and neutralizing them. Antibody (Ab) also know as Immunoglobulin (Ig) is the large Y shaped protein produced by the body’s immune system when it detects harmful substances, called antigens like bacteria and viruses. The production of antibodies is a major function of the immune system and is carried out by a type of white blood cell called a B cell (B lymphocyte), differentiated B cells called plasma cells. The produced antibodies bind to specific antigens express in external factors and cancer cells.