Which component of the immune system is produced by the body to combat foreign disease?

The body produces antibodies as a crucial component of the immune system to combat foreign pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. Antibodies are specific proteins generated by B cells in response to antigens, which are unique molecules found on the surface of pathogens. When an antigen is detected, the immune system recognizes it as foreign, prompting the production of antibodies that bind to the antigen, neutralizing it or marking it for destruction by other immune cells.

Antigens, while also important in the immune response, are the substances that elicit the production of antibodies rather than being a product of the immune system itself. Enzymes, on the other hand, play various roles in biochemical processes but are not directly involved in the immune response to foreign disease. Hormones, similarly, are regulatory molecules that control physiological processes but do not specifically target pathogens like antibodies do. Thus, antibodies are the key defenders that the immune system creates to specifically target and eliminate foreign invaders.