When you cut your finger, the cut is open to the mold, yeast, bacteria and viruses that float around in the air. We call some of these these germs "antigens" because some can be anti-genetic in their action, causing serious harm to your DNA.

The "medics" that arrive on the scene are white blood cells, "B cells", with antibodies on the cell surface. These are bodies designed to be "anti" or "against" the antigens. We believe we produce as many as 50 million new antibody producing cells every day.

Thousands of antibodies cover the surface of each "B" cell, but each "B" cell has its own kind of antibody.

What if you were an antigen? Bacteria emit proteins which can be toxic. You are an antigen, and your job is to detect this poison. How would you detect the presence of this protein and make it inactive?

Go on with the story.

See how antibodies fail in auto-immune diseases.

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