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Reference.org
Side-chain theory
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<p>The side-chain theory is a <a href="/facts/Theory/9vrNS1Rr">theory</a> proposed by <a href="/facts/Paul_Ehrlich/6XM57Clc">Paul Ehrlich</a> (1854–1915) to explain the <a href="/facts/Immune_response/dtLulqIy">immune response</a> in living <a href="/facts/Cell_(biology)/bLM9UQvy">cells</a>. Ehrlich theorized from very early in his career that <a href="/facts/Chemical_structure/r5rT1Lj4">chemical structure</a> could be used to explain why the immune response occurred in reaction to <a href="/facts/Infection/182XrncP">infection</a>. He believed that <a href="/facts/Toxin/11oUNk7n">toxins</a> and <a href="/facts/Antitoxin/CHuxmPyt">antitoxins</a> were <a href="/facts/Chemical_substance/EWcXU41d">chemical substances</a> 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. </p>