| | Articles - Antibody (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-06) |
 | | Together with the plasma component complement, antibodies can kill bacteria directly. |
 | | It is important to note that antibodies cannot attack pathogens within cells, and certain viruses "hide" inside cells (as part of the lysogenic cycle) for long periods of time to avoid them. |
 | | This is the reason for the chronic nature of many minor skin diseases (such as cold sores); any given outbreak is quickly suppressed by the immune system, but the infection is never truly eradicated because some cells retain viruses that will resume the apparent symptoms later. |
| www.babyblanketcenter.com /articles/Antibody (2369 words) |