Coat (“opsonize”) bugs, making them yummy to macrophages and neutrophils (which have receptors for the Fc portion of IgG! How handy!).
When a bug is coated or opsonized, it means that it is covered with antibodies, specifically immunoglobulin G (IgG), which is a type of antibody found in our immune system. This coating makes the bug more recognizable and tasty to macrophages and neutrophils, which are types of immune cells.
Macrophages and neutrophils have receptors on their surface that specifically bind to the Fc portion of IgG. When they encounter an opsonized bug, the antibodies on the bug's surface bind to these receptors on the immune cells. This binding triggers a series of events that enhance the immune response against the bug.
Once the immune cells recognize the opsonized bug, they engulf it through a process called phagocytosis. This allows the immune cells to get rid of the bug by destroying it using enzymes and toxic substances. The opsonization of bugs with IgG antibodies is a clever mechanism of our immune system to enhance the recognition and clearance of pathogens.