An antibody is a protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralise foreign objects like bacteria and viruses. Each antibody recognises a specific antigen unique to its target. Production of antibodies is referred to as the humoral immune system.
Rudolf Ludwig Carl Virchow was born on October 13, 1821 in the town of Schivelbein, in the German Kingdom of Prussia. Today the town is called Åwidwin and lies in Poland. His father was Carl Christian Siegfried Virchow, a farmer, and town treasurer of Schivelbein; his mother was Johanna Maria Hesse.
This led to the discovery of the lymphatic system and a new insight into a possible cause of cancer. In the late 19th century Rudolph Virchow's was the doctor to recognize leukemia cells. Virchow's cell theory was expanded on by German surgeon, Karl Thiersch, who discovered that cancer spread through malignant cells.