The body’s first line of defense is the immune system. When pathogens enter the body, cells within the immune system target them to help the body fight them off and avoid illness. There are three categories of immune cells: lymphocytes, neutrophils, and monocytes/macrophages. Each group of cells has its own respective tasks to do when the body is fighting off an invader.
The immune system also contains certain proteins that help protect the body even further. These include cytokines, complement proteins, and antibodies. Antibodies, in particular, are tasked with hunting down viruses, bacteria, fungi and other pathogens so they can mark them for other cells to find and destroy. Essentially, antibodies are the hunters of the immune system.
There are five types of antibodies that work for the immune system’s search-and-destroy task force, so to speak. Below, we’ll discuss two specific types: IgM and IgG.
Continue reading “Patterns Of IgG And IgM Antibody Response In Infection-Driven Illness”