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What are the differences between antibodies and antibiotics?
Posted July 25, 2024
Antibodies and Proteomics Bioconjugation Chemical ReagentsAntibody and Protein LabelingPhysiological Probes
Answer
Basis of differentiation
Antibodies
Antibiotics
Definition 
Are large, Y-shaped proteins produced naturally by the body’s immune system to combat the harmful effect of disease-causing microbes
Are chemicals or drugs produced from microorganisms to selectively inhibit the growth of bacteria and treat infections
Effectiveness
Effective against bacteria, viruses, and other chemicals
Effective only against bacteria 
Origin
Produced by white blood cells in the body in response to an invading antigen
Produced in the lab 
Size 
Larger in size
Smaller in size
Function 
Protect the body against diseases
Kill and inhibits the growth and development of bacteria
Examples
IgM, IgG, IgA, IgD and IgE
Penicillin, Ampicillin, Keflex, Zithromax
Additional resources
Antibodies against the antibiotics: an overviewAntibodies and Proteomics iFluor® 488 goat anti-mouse IgG (H+L) *Cross Adsorbed*

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