title: The biochemistry of complement.
abstract: Current biochemical studies of the complement system are illustrated by description of the activation of complement by the classical pathway after interaction with antibody aggregates. This is described in terms of the structures of the components involved, their assembly and the mechanism of activation.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003166:Complement Activating Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D003167:Complement Activation; D003172:Complement C1 / Q000378:metabolism; D003175:Complement C2 / Q000378:metabolism; D050577:Complement C3-C5 Convertases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000378:metabolism; D003182:Complement C5 / Q000378:metabolism; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008954:Models, Biological; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014714:Vertebrates
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003172:Complement C1; D003175:Complement C2; D003181:Complement C4; D003182:Complement C5; D003165:Complement System Proteins; D003166:Complement Activating Enzymes; D050577:Complement C3-C5 Convertases