12.6 (partially) Antibodies Flashcards
What is an antigen?
A protein on the surface of a pathogen that initiates an immune response, causing antibody production
What is an antibody?
A protein made by a B lymphocyte in response to an antigen.
What is the epitope?
The part of the antigen that binds to the antibody.
What is the purpose of the hinge region?
It is flexible and allows the distance between binding sites to vary.
What is the same for all antibodies?
The constant regions
What determines the specificity of the antibody?
The variable regions
What secondary structure are antibodies made of?
Beta-pleated sheets
In what methods can antibodies work?
- Blocking
- Neutralisation
- Opsonisation
- Dampener
- Agglutination
- Complement activation
Describe the blocking method of antibody operation.
Antibodies combine with viruses and pathogenic toxins to block them from entering/damaging cells.
Describe the neutralisation method of antibody operation.
Antibodies act as anti-toxins by binding to toxins produced by pathogens, which neutralises them.
Describe the opsonisation method of antibody operation.
Antibodies attach to bacteria, making them easily identifiable to phagocytes, increasing phagocytosis.
Describe the dampener method of antibody operation.
Antibodies limit bacterial activity, increasing phagocytosis by binding to the flagella of bacteria.
Describe the agglutination method of antibody operation.
Antibodies act as agglutinins, causing pathogens carrying antigen-antibody complexes to clump together.
Describe the complement activation method of antibody operation.
Antibodies activate the complement system that attacks to cell-surface membrane causing cell lysis.
