Biosensors

Biosensors are not just natural sensors that are part of life; they are sensors for biological entities including proteins, drugs, and even specific viruses. Nature does have a variety of schemes for approaching the detection of these entities. One common method is the one behind allergic response. When a body is first exposed to an allergen (a benign substance that it mistakes for a hostile invader), it is sensitized, which means that it creates antibodies that will recognize that allergen if it ever appears again. The antibodies use molecular recognition to spot the allergenic proteins and release histamine, the substance that causes your body to react by sneezing, itching, or nausea. This ability to sense larger structures, such ...

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