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Abstract

Antibodies are the guard dogs of the human immune system. They travel through the bloodstream, sniffing out foreign invaders (antigens), binding to them, and preventing them from harming the body. Instead of having a nose, four legs, and a tail, antibodies are Y-shaped proteins comprised of amino acids that viciously protect their hosts. Think of the tips of the “Y” as mouths that can bite certain antigens and lock them in place, rendering them harmless. Antibodies have the ability to identify a plethora of antigens to bind to and neutralize; “[s]ome researchers have estimated that the theoretical number of different types of antibodies . . . is on par with the number of stars in the galaxy.”

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