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| Antigens |
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| An antigen is any chemical substance that, when introduced into the body, causes the body to produce specific antibodies, which can react with the antigen. Chemically a vast majority of antigens are proteins, nucleoproteins, lipo proteins etc. The entire bacterium or virus or components of microbes may act as an antigen. Bacterial toxins are antigenic. Pollens, egg white, incompatible blood cells, transplanted tissues can also act as antigens. |
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| As a rule, antigens are foreign substances. The body's own substances, recognised as 'self', do not act as antigens. |
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