What is opsonization?

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Multiple Choice

What is opsonization?

Opsonization is tagging pathogens with opsonins to enhance phagocytosis. When a microbe is coated by opsonins such as antibodies (like IgG) or complement fragment C3b, phagocytes have receptors (Fc receptors for antibodies and CR1 for C3b) that recognize these tags. This binding helps immune cells grab, engulf, and destroy the pathogen more efficiently, making clearance faster and more effective. So the best choice describes that enhanced phagocytosis due to tagging, which is exactly what opsonization accomplishes. Direct lysis is done by other components of the complement system (like the membrane attack complex), inhibition of phagocytosis would work against this process, and production of antibodies refers to antibody generation rather than the tagging action itself (though antibodies can function as opsonins once produced).

Opsonization is tagging pathogens with opsonins to enhance phagocytosis. When a microbe is coated by opsonins such as antibodies (like IgG) or complement fragment C3b, phagocytes have receptors (Fc receptors for antibodies and CR1 for C3b) that recognize these tags. This binding helps immune cells grab, engulf, and destroy the pathogen more efficiently, making clearance faster and more effective.

So the best choice describes that enhanced phagocytosis due to tagging, which is exactly what opsonization accomplishes. Direct lysis is done by other components of the complement system (like the membrane attack complex), inhibition of phagocytosis would work against this process, and production of antibodies refers to antibody generation rather than the tagging action itself (though antibodies can function as opsonins once produced).

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