Editing Side-chain theory (section)

{{Short description|Generally accepted theory published in 1900 to explain immune response in living cells}}
The '''side-chain theory''' ([[German language|German]], '''''Seitenkettentheorie''''') is a [[theory]] proposed by [[Paul Ehrlich]] (1854&ndash;1915) to explain the [[immune response]] in living [[cell (biology)|cell]]s. Ehrlich theorized from very early in his career that [[chemical structure]] could be used to explain why the immune response occurred in reaction to [[infection]]. He believed that [[toxin]]s and [[antitoxin]]s were [[chemical substance]]s at a time when very little was known about their nature. The theory explains the interaction of antibodies and antigens in the blood, and how antibodies are produced.<ref name="wite">{{cite journal|last1=Witebsky|first1=Ernest|title=Ehrlich's side-chain theory in the light of present immunology|journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences|date=1954|volume=59|issue=2|pages=168–181|doi=10.1111/j.1749-6632.1954.tb45929.x|pmid=13229205|bibcode=1954NYASA..59..168W }}</ref>