Final answer:
A pathogen is an organism or infectious agent that causes disease. An antigen is a molecule that can elicit an immune response. Antibodies are proteins that directly attack foreign antigens.
Step-by-step explanation:
An organism or infectious agent that causes disease is called a pathogen. A molecule that can elicit an immune response is called an antigen. Proteins that directly attack foreign antigens are antibodies. Protection against infection requires the ability to recognize nonself substances. Many of the proteins on the surfaces of our cells are encoded by genes that belong to the major histocompatibility complex. A cell that displays a foreign antigen is called an antigen-presenting cell. The human blood group antigens are linked to sugars and form branchlike glycoproteins.