Opsonized

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The term describes the modification of particles to facilitate their identification and ingestion by immune cells during immune responses
2. It refers to the coating process of pathogens that boosts their recognition and uptake by phagocytes
3. The expression pertains to the alteration of microorganisms through attachment of specific molecules to enhance their detection and absorption by immune system cells

Etymology: Opsonize comes from "opson," the Greek word for cooked food, relish or delicacy, the kind of thing eaten with bread. The connection to immunology is metaphorical: in the early twentieth century, researchers found that certain blood components made bacteria more appetizing to white blood cells, so the bacteria were, in effect, seasoned for eating. The term was built in English from that Greek root plus the verb-forming suffix "-ize," making it a deliberate scientific coinage rather than an ancient word. The idea behind the image is that bacteria and other particles are coated so that phagocytes, the cells that engulf them, can grab hold more easily. Ancient Greek "opson" referred to prepared food eaten with bread, which is why a word about seasoning a meal ended up describing how the immune system prepares invaders for digestion.