do we need to know this for antibodies? ( from resource notes on site)
§ Antibodies inactivate/destroy antigens in 4 ways:
Ø Neutralisation: They can stick to the binding sites of viruses, or disable bacterial toxins by coating them. These are then engulfed by phagocytes.
Ø Agglutination: Antibodies ‘clump’ together solid antigens such as bacteria, combining many bacteria into a solid mass. This mass is then engulfed.
Ø Precipitation: Soluble antigens are stuck together by multiple antibodies, and are precipitated out of the solute (plasma). Phagocytosis follow.
Ø Complement Activation: The antibodies can stick to the surfaces of bacterial cells, acting as tags for destruction by complement proteins.