Humoral Responses

Humoral responses are a type of immune response in which antibodies are secreted from B-cells into the bloodstream or lymph to neutralize foreign substances such as viruses, bacteria, and toxins. This type of response is part of the adaptive immune system, which is why it is specific to an individual pathogen and can be more complicated than a cellular response. This type of response is important because it allows an organism to identify and respond to foreign antigens and also aids in the production of memory B-cells which will remember the pathogen if it infects the organism again. Humoral responses are used in many medical situations such as serology testing to identify infectious diseases and other disorders and can also be used to develop treatments such as vaccines.