Explainer: What are Antibodies? The body makes this chemical ammo to fight foreign invaders — now and later

An artist’s illustration of antibodies (blue-green structures) attempting to latch onto the antigens on the outer surface of a coronavirus (red). Antibodies are one of the major players in the immune system’s attack against viruses.

 A world of germs is vying to invade your body and make you sick. Luckily, your immune system can assemble a mighty army to protect you. Think of this system as your own personal team of superheroes. They are dedicated to keeping you safe.

And antibodies are among their strongest ammunition. Also called immunoglobulins (Ih-mue-noh-GLOB-you-linz), or Ig’s, these are a family of proteins.

The job of these antibodies is to locate and attack “foreign” proteins — that is, proteins that don’t appear to belong in the body.

These foreign invaders contain substances the body doesn’t recognize. Known as antigens, these can be parts of bacteria, viruses or other microbes. Pollen and other things that cause allergies can have antigens, too. If someone is given blood that doesn’t match their blood type — during surgery, for instance — those blood cells can host antigens.