antibodyWhen bacteria enter a flesh wound, a B cell releases antibodies, which attach to the bacteria and direct them toward a macrophage for destruction.an·ti·bod·y (?n?t?-b?d??)n. pl. an·ti·bod·ies Any of numerous Y-shaped glycoproteins that bind to specific antigens and either neutralize them or cause them to be destroyed by other elements of the immune system, such as phagocytes, cytotoxic cells, or complement proteins. Antibodies occur as antigen receptors on the surface of B cells and are secreted as soluble proteins when the B cells mature into plasma cells. Antibodies are also called “immunoglobulins.” [Translation of German Antikörper : anti-, antagonistic (from Latin anti-, anti-) + Körper, body.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.antibody (?ænt??b?d?) n, pl -bodies (Biochemistry) any of various proteins produced in the blood in response to the presence of an antigen. By becoming attached to antigens on infectious organisms antibodies can render them harmless or cause them to be destroyed. See also immunoglobulinCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014an?ti?bod?y (?æn t??b?d i) n., pl. -bod?ies. 1. any of numerous protein molecules produced by B cells as a primary immune defense, each kind having a uniquely shaped site that combines with a foreign antigen, as of a virus or bacterium, and disables it. 2. antibodies of a particular type collectively. Also called immunoglobulin. [1895?1900; translation of German Antikörper] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.an·ti·bod·y (?n?t?-b?d??) A protein produced in the blood or tissues in response to the presence of a specific foreign antigen. Antibodies provide immunity against certain microorganisms and toxins by binding with them and often by deactivating them. Also called immunoglobulin.Did You Know? Antibodies are complex, Y-shaped protein molecules that guard our bodies against diseases. The immune system’s B lymphocytes, or B cells, develop into plasma cells, which can produce a huge variety of antibodies, each one capable of grabbing an invading molecule at the top ends of the Y. The molecules that antibodies recognize can be quite specific?they might exist only on a particular bacterium or virus. When that bacterium or virus enters the body, the antibodies quickly recognize its molecules, as if a sentry recognized an enemy soldier from his uniform. Once the invader is caught, the antibodies may make it inactive or lead it to cells that can destroy it. High numbers of a particular antibody may persist for months after an invasion. The numbers may then get quite small, but the experienced B cells can quickly make more of that specific antibody if necessary. Vaccines work by training B cells to do just that.The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.antibodyA protein released by blood cells to destroy invading foreign organisms or substances.Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited