antigen

Term · Environment · MLC-T-ENV-001832

1. Any foreign substance (generally proteins) to which the body reacts by producing antibodies. Antigens may be soluble substances such as toxins, particulate matter such as pollen, or microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.

2. A foreign macromolecule introduced into a host organism that elicits an immune response.

3. Substances that are recognized by the immune system and induce an immune reaction.

4. Substances which are capable, under appropriate conditions, of inducing a specific immune response and of reacting with the products of that response, that is, with specific antibodies or specifically sensitised T-lymphocytes, or both. Antigens may be soluble substances, such as toxins and foreign proteins, or particulates, such as bacteria and tissue cells; however, only the portion of the protein or polysaccharide molecule known as the antigenic determinant (epitopes) combines with antibody or a specific receptor on a lymphocyte. [CancerWeb 2005]

5. Any substance that, as a result of coming in contact with appropriate cells, induces a state of sensitivity and/or immune responsiveness after a latent period (days to weeks) and that reacts in a demonstrable way with antibodies and/or immune cells of the sensitized subject in vivo or in vitro. Modern usage tends to retain the broad meaning of antigen, employing the terms "antigenic determinant" or "determinant group" for the particular chemical group of a molecule that confers antigenic specificity. [Stedman 2005]

6. Foreign substances (e.g. bacteria or viruses) in the body that are capable of causing disease. The presence of antigens in the body triggers an immune response, usually the production of antibodies.

Table 1. Record
Identifier	MLC-T-ENV-001832
Field	Environment
References	USGS Field Manual of Wildlife Disease Glossary; NOAA Coral Reef Glossary; NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH); Thesaurus of Terms Used in Microbial Risk Assessment; CDC Vaccines and Immunizations Glossary

Record as JSON

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-001832",
  "term": "antigen",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. Any foreign substance (generally proteins) to which the body reacts by producing antibodies. Antigens may be soluble substances such as toxins, particulate matter such as pollen, or microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.\n\n2. A foreign macromolecule introduced into a host organism that elicits an immune response.\n\n3. Substances that are recognized by the immune system and induce an immune reaction.\n\n4. Substances which are capable, under appropriate conditions, of inducing a specific immune response and of reacting with the products of that response, that is, with specific antibodies or specifically sensitised T-lymphocytes, or both. Antigens may be soluble substances, such as toxins and foreign proteins, or particulates, such as bacteria and tissue cells; however, only the portion of the protein or polysaccharide molecule known as the antigenic determinant (epitopes) combines with antibody or a specific receptor on a lymphocyte. [CancerWeb 2005]\n\n5. Any substance that, as a result of coming in contact with appropriate cells, induces a state of sensitivity and/or immune responsiveness after a latent period (days to weeks) and that reacts in a demonstrable way with antibodies and/or immune cells of the sensitized subject in vivo or in vitro. Modern usage tends to retain the broad meaning of antigen, employing the terms \"antigenic determinant\" or \"determinant group\" for the particular chemical group of a molecule that confers antigenic specificity. [Stedman 2005]\n\n6. Foreign substances (e.g. bacteria or viruses) in the body that are capable of causing disease. The presence of antigens in the body triggers an immune response, usually the production of antibodies.",
  "references": [
    "USGS Field Manual of Wildlife Disease Glossary",
    "NOAA Coral Reef Glossary",
    "NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)",
    "Thesaurus of Terms Used in Microbial Risk Assessment",
    "CDC Vaccines and Immunizations Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/antigen/"
}

Record 1,832 of 30,736 in Environment terminology (MLC-0121). Request the full dataset.