Editing Gerald Edelman (section)

===Disulfide bonds===
[[File:Anticorps.png|thumb|right|272px|Diagram illustrating the [[disulfide bond]]s (red) that link the [[Immunoglobulin light chain|light]] (green) and [[Immunoglobulin heavy chain|heavy]] (blue) protein subunits of [[Immunoglobulin G]] (IgG) molecules. This diagram also illustrates the relative positions of the variable (V) and constant (C) domains of an IgG molecule. The heavy and light chain variable regions come together to form antigen binding sites at the end of the two symmetrical arms of the antibody.]]
Edelman's early research on the structure of antibody proteins revealed that [[Disulfide bond#Occurrence in proteins|disulfide bonds]] link together the protein subunits.<ref name="Edelman1961"/> The protein subunits of antibodies are of two types, the larger heavy chains and the smaller light chains. Two light and two heavy chains are linked together by disulfide bonds to form a functional antibody.