The key difference between antibodies and T cells is that antibodies are proteins that are produced and released by B lymphocytes against foreign pathogens, while T cells are a type of lymphocytes that develop in the thymus.
The immune system responds to foreign pathogens by using two types of immune responses: innate and adaptive. Innate immunity is activated immediately, while adaptive immunity is activated lately. Innate immunity is carried out in different ways, such as through cells (macrophages and dendritic cells), physical and mechanical barriers, etc. On the other hand, adaptive immunity is carried out through B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes. B lymphocytes produce antibodies to kill foreign pathogens, while T lymphocytes have cytotoxic T cells and helper T cells that can kill and remove foreign pathogens. Therefore, antibodies and T cells are important components of adaptive immune responses of the immune system.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Antibodies
3. What are T Cells
4. Similarities – Antibodies and T Cells
5. Antibodies vs T Cells in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Antibodies vs T Cells
What are Antibodies?
Antibodies are proteins that are also known as immunoglobulins. They are made and released by B lymphocytes. There are five types of antibodies: IgA, IgE, IgM, IgG, and IgD. These different types vary in the structure of the chain part of the molecule, location, and specific function. IgG is the most abundant type, while IgE is the least abundant type. B lymphocytes are very closely related to T lymphocytes or T cells. This is because both originate from the bone marrow. Moreover, some T cells (helper T cells) work in conjunction with B cells by triggering the release of antibodies when the immune system encounters foreign pathogens.
Figure 01: Antibodies
Antibodies consist of about four polypeptide chains (two heavy chains and two light chains), which are joined together to produce Y-shaped molecules. They also have specific regions in the structure that are designed to attach to antigenic substances. Furthermore, the function of antibodies is to disable pathogenic organisms by attaching to the antigens on the pathogenic organism itself. This causes pathogenic organisms to clump together; thus, they will not be able to function any longer. Antibodies can also slow down the movement of pathogens, paralyze pathogens or disrupt the proteins formed on the structure of the pathogens (viral capsids).
What are T Cells?
T cells are a type of lymphocyte that develop in the thymus. T cells are also called T lymphocytes or thymocytes. T cells are a type of white blood cell. They are produced from the stem cells in the bone marrow, which are later differentiated in the thymus and released. T cells have T cell-type receptors on the plasma membrane of the cell.
Figure 02: T Cells
There are two main types of T cells: helper T cells and cytotoxic T cells. Helper T cells activate B lymphocytes to release antibodies. On the other hand, cytotoxic T cells directly kill microbial pathogens. Therefore, T cells help protect the body from infection and may also help fight cancer.
What are the Similarities Between Antibodies and T Cells?
- Antibodies and T cells are important components of the adaptive immune responses of the immune system.
- Some T cells trigger B lymphocytes to produce antibodies.
- Both are collectively working together to kill and remove foreign pathogens.
- They are extremely important for the survival of humans and other animals.
- Deregulations of both cause diseases.
What is the Difference Between Antibodies and T Cells?
Antibodies are proteins that are produced and released by the B lymphocytes against foreign pathogens, while T cells are one type of lymphocytes that develop in the thymus. Thus, this is the key difference between antibodies and T cells. Furthermore, antibodies are formed by B lymphocytes when they turn into plasma cells in response to the signals of T cells. On the other hand, T cells are formed from stem cells of bone marrow and differentiated in the thymus.
The below infographic presents the differences between antibodies and T cells in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Antibodies vs T Cells
Antibodies and T cells are important components of the adaptive immune responses of the immune system. Both are extremely important for the survival of humans and other animals. Antibodies are proteins that are produced and released by the B lymphocytes against foreign pathogens, while T cells are one type of lymphocyte that develop in the thymus. So, this is the key difference between antibodies and T cells.
Reference:
1. “Antibodies: Definition, Types & Function.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “T Cell.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Antigen-antibody interactions (agglutination) ku” By Open Stax (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “CD8+ T cell destruction of infected cells” By Original: DananguyenDerivative: nagualdesign – Own work; derivative of File:CD8+ T cell destruction of infected cells.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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