Are t-cell receptors antibodies?

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T-cells possess T-cell receptors (TCRs) on their surface that bind to antigens, while antibodies are secreted by B-cells and circulate freely, marking antigens for destruction. Both TCRs and antibodies are similar in function, as they recognize antigens through specific epitopes, but they differ in structure and binding capabilities. TCRs are membrane-bound with a single binding site, whereas antibodies can have multiple forms with several binding sites. The distinction between antibodies and other binding molecules, such as ligands, can be blurred in practice, as both serve to recognize and bind to antigens. For further information on TCRs and antibodies, a recommended resource is the University of Washington's course website.
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I read that t-cells have receptors on their surface which bind to antigens. Are these receptors antibodies or are antibodies molecules which float around freely and mark antigens that they happen to bind to so that t-cells can kill them?
 
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Well you are right in your comparison. They are extremely similar in nearly every way. Antibodies are secreted from B-cells and TCRs are bound to the the cell membrane and they only have a single binding site. (Antibodies have multiple forms with various binding sites 1,2-5)

http://courses.washington.edu/conj/immune/antibody.htm

^^I think that this website lays out some good knowledge on TCRs and Antibodies.
 
By default, an antibody is anything that binds an antigen by recognizing it through the specific epitopes that are present. You shouldn't be too stringent about only labelling the secretions of plasma cells as antibodies as these delineations are quite blurred in actual practice. Other word you can see in usage is LIGAND. For example, RANK ligand for RANK receptor.
 
https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-deadliest-spider-in-the-world-ends-lives-in-hours-but-its-venom-may-inspire-medical-miracles-48107 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versutoxin#Mechanism_behind_Neurotoxic_Properties https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390817301557 (subscription or purchase requred) he structure of versutoxin (δ-atracotoxin-Hv1) provides insights into the binding of site 3 neurotoxins to the voltage-gated sodium channel...
Popular article referring to the BA.2 variant: Popular article: (many words, little data) https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/health/ba-2-covid-severity/index.html Preprint article referring to the BA.2 variant: Preprint article: (At 52 pages, too many words!) https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.14.480335v1.full.pdf [edited 1hr. after posting: Added preprint Abstract] Cheers, Tom
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