Opsonizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The mechanism through which specific substances mark pathogens, enhancing their recognition and removal by immune cells occurs during immune responses
2. Involves the tagging of microorganisms to assist immune cells in identifying and destroying them effectively
3. The process by which molecules attach to harmful microbes to help immune cells detect and eliminate them

Etymology: "Opsonizing" is the present participle of "opsonize," a verb built from "opson" and the suffix "-ize." The suffix, from Greek "-izein," turns a noun into a verb meaning to make, treat, or act upon something in a particular way, so "opsonize" means to prepare something for a particular action. The base, "opson," comes from Greek "opsōnion," a word for cooked food or relish, eaten with bread. Its central idea is an accompaniment that makes the staple more palatable. Immunologists borrowed the notion: a substance that coats a microbe so that white blood cells can more readily seize and destroy it is, in effect, seasoning that makes the invader easier to swallow.