Immunologic Factor
antigen

an·ti·gen [ an-ti-juhn, -jen ]
Subclass of:
Biological Factors
Etymology:
Greek anti = an abbreviation for antibody + gen (gennao = produce)
Anything leading to the development of antibodies.
Anything leading to the development of antibodies.
Definitions related to antigens:
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Any substance recognized by the immune system and inducing an immune reaction.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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Any substance that causes the body to make a specific immune response.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Any substance that the body sees as harmful or foreign, causing the immune system to form antibodies in defense.Harvard Dictionary of Health TermsHarvard Medical Publishing, 2011
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Any substance, generally a protein, that stimulates the immune system and elicits an immune response. Recognition by the immune system elicits either a T-lymphocyte response, recognizing processed antigens, or a B-lymphocyte response, producing antibodies that bind to unprocessed antigens.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Substances that are recognized by the immune system and induce an immune reaction.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Antigen, substance that is capable of stimulating an immune response, specifically activating lymphocytes, which are the body's infection-fighting white blood cells. In general, two main divisions of antigens are recognized: foreign antigens (or heteroantigens) and autoantigens (or self-antigens)....Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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