Antibody: A glycoprotein secreted by a plasma cell.

An antibody binds to the

specific antigen that triggered the immune response, leading to destruction of
the antigen (and any pathogen or other cell to which the antigen is attached).
Antibodies have regions that vary in shape (variable regions) that are
complementary to the shape of the antigen. Some antibodies are called
antitoxins and prevent the activity of toxins (prevent the activity of is
sometimes called neutralise, which does not mean that this is anything to do
with pH).
Antigen: a protein (normally some carbohydrates and other macromolecules
can act as antigens) that is recognised by the body as foreign (so as non-self)
and that stimulates an immune response. The specificity of antigens (which is a
result of the variety of amino acid sequences that are possible) allows for
responses that are customised to specific pathogens.
Immune response: the complex series of reactions of the body to an antigen,
such as a molecule on the outside of a bacterium, virus, parasite, allergen or
tumour cell.
The immune response begins with an innate first response, carried out by
phagocytic white blood cells, which can destroy and engulf (by
phagocytosis/endocytosis) many different foreign organisms.
At the same time, the primary phase of the adaptive immune system response
begins, in which specific clones of B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes divide and
differentiate to form antibody-secreting plasma cells (from B-lymphocytes) and T
helper cells and T killer cells (from T-lymphocytes) that are specific to the
antigen, contributing to its destruction or preventing its activity.
This leads into the secondary phase of the adaptive immune system response,
where memory cells retain the capability to secrete antibodies or act as T helper
or T killer cells as soon as the specific antigen is detected again.
Self: the products of the bodys own genotype, which contain proteins (normally,
but see antigen) that do not trigger an immune response in the bodys own
immune system. Inside the body that produced them, self proteins do not act as
antigens (and so do not stimulate an immune response) but, if introduced into
another body, they become non-self.
Non-self: proteins (normally, but see antigen) that contain sequences of amino
acids that are not the same as any self proteins and that can be recognised by
immune system cells and can trigger an immune response in the body.
Sometimes these are termed non-self antigens. When cells are infected by an
antigen, or become cancerous, some of their antigens may be changed from self
to non-self.