- Opsonization is the process of coating pathogens with opsonins (e.g., antibodies, complement proteins) to enhance recognition and ingestion by phagocytes.
- This tagging makes microbes more "visible" to immune cells, facilitating efficient phagocytosis.
- Unlike directly killing pathogens or neutralizing toxins, opsonization's primary role is marking pathogens for clearance.
- This mechanism is crucial for effective innate and adaptive immune responses.

Reference: Janeway's Immunobiology, 9th Edition, Chapter 3