Questions: Choose the ways that antibodies function to render antigens harmless. Agglutination Phagocytosis Apoptosis Anergy Precipitation Neutralization Complement fixation

The ways that antibodies function to render antigens harmless are:

1. Agglutination
2. Precipitation
3. Neutralization
4. Complement fixation

Explanation for each option:

• Agglutination: The answer is correct. Antibodies can cause antigens to clump together, making it easier for phagocytes to engulf them.

• Phagocytosis: The answer is incorrect. Phagocytosis is a process carried out by phagocytes (such as macrophages and neutrophils), not by antibodies themselves. However, antibodies can enhance phagocytosis by marking antigens for destruction (opsonization).

• Apoptosis: The answer is incorrect. Apoptosis is a process of programmed cell death that is not directly induced by antibodies.

• Anergy: The answer is incorrect. Anergy refers to a state of immune unresponsiveness, not a direct function of antibodies.

• Precipitation: The answer is correct. Antibodies can bind to soluble antigens, causing them to form insoluble complexes that precipitate out of solution.

• Neutralization: The answer is correct. Antibodies can neutralize antigens by binding to them and blocking their activity, such as preventing viruses from entering cells.

• Complement fixation: The answer is correct. Antibodies can activate the complement system, which helps to destroy pathogens by creating pores in their membranes.

In summary, the correct ways that antibodies function to render antigens harmless are agglutination, precipitation, neutralization, and complement fixation.