BRAINCAKEHumoral Immunity
B cells produce antibodies and secrete them into the blood and tissue fluid.
Antibodies are soluble in blood and tissue fluid. The action of antibodies is called humoral immunity.
There are about 10 million different types of B cell each with a different receptor on its cell surface. Each B-cell receptor responds to a specific antigen.
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Key terms in this lesson
- mitosis
- Nuclear division that produces two daughter nuclei, each genetically identical to the parent nucleus.
- pathogen
- A microorganism, such as a virus, bacterium, fungus or protoctist, that causes disease.
- antigen
- A protein or glycoprotein, usually on a cell surface, that is recognised as foreign by the immune system and triggers an immune response.
- antibody
- A Y-shaped protein, made of four polypeptide chains with variable regions complementary to a specific antigen, produced by B plasma cells.
- B-lymphocyte
- A type of white blood cell, matured in the bone marrow, responsible for the humoral immune response and antibody production.
More in Cell Recognition and the Immune System
- Antigens
- Lymphocytes
- Cell-Mediated Immunity
- Cytotoxic T-cells
- Primary and Secondary Immune Response
- Antibody Structure
- Antibody Function
- Monoclonal Antibodies
All 30 lessons in Cell Recognition and the Immune System · All AQA AS-level Biology topics