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IgA in mucus coats a virus so that it can no longer attach to host cell receptors. What is this process called?
AOpsonization
BAgglutination
CClass switching
DNeutralization
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Neutralization
1. Mucosal tissues are major barriers to the entry of pathogens, and IgA and sometimes IgM sit in the mucus and other secretions there.
2. Neutralization is the process of coating a pathogen with antibodies, making it physically impossible for the pathogen to bind to receptors.
3. It occurs in the blood, lymph and other body fluids and secretions, so it protects the body constantly.
4. Neutralizing antibodies are the basis for the disease protection offered by vaccines.
5. Opsonization tags a pathogen for phagocytosis rather than blocking its attachment, so it is the near miss here.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 21 "The Lymphatic and Immune System", section 21.5 The Immune Response against Pathogens_
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