Function of antibodies
The main categories of antibody action include the following: Neutralisation , in which neutralizing antibodies block parts of the surface of a bacterial cell or virion to render its attack ineffective Agglutination , in which antibodies "glue together" foreign cells into clumps that are attractive targets for phagocytosis Precipitation , in which antibodies "glue together" serum -soluble antigens, forcing them to precipitate out of solution in clumps that are attractive targets for phagocytosis Complement activation (fixation), in which antibodies that are latched onto a foreign cell encourage complement to attack it with a membrane attack complex , which leads to the following: Lysis of the foreign cellEncouragement of inflammation by chemotactically attracting inflammatory cells Activated B cells differentiate into either antibody-producing cells called plasma cells that secrete soluble antibo...