What process involves antibodies neutralizing pathogens to make them more recognizable to immune cells?

The process in which antibodies neutralize pathogens to enhance their visibility to immune cells is known as opsonization. During opsonization, antibodies bind to antigens on the surface of pathogens, marking them for destruction. This tagging makes the pathogens more recognizable to phagocytic cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils, which have receptors that specifically bind to the antibodies. As a result, these immune cells can more effectively engulf and eliminate the pathogens.

Phagocytosis refers to the process by which immune cells actively engulf and digest pathogens, but opsonization is a critical step that improves the efficiency of this process. Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death and does not involve enhancing pathogen recognition. Inflammation is a response mechanism to injury or infection that recruits immune cells to the site but does not specifically refer to the targeting of pathogens by antibodies. Therefore, opsonization is the key process that directly relates to the action of antibodies in facilitating the recognition of pathogens by immune cells.