Antibodies Flashcards
What cells are antibodies made up of
B-cells
How many chains are there in antibodies
4
What are the chains called in antibodies
Polypeptide chains
How do we divide these 4 chains into two pairs?
Heavy and light chains
Which chains are heavy and which chains are light
Long chains are heavy, short chains are light
How many regions are there, and what are they called
- 2
- Constant and variable
What does the constant region do
Attaches to receptors on B-cells
What does the variable region do
Antigen binding sites
Why are the binding sites on each antibody unique
unique sequence of amino acids in the primary structure causing a highly specific 3D shape
What do antibodies do to antigens?
Prepare them for destruction
In what ways can an antibody lead to the destruction of an antigen?
- They cause agglutination which makes the pathogen easier to locate by the phagocytes, because they are less spread out.
- They also serve as markers that stimulate phagocytes to engulf the bacterial cells, which the antibodies are attached to.
Describe what is meant by Monoclonal antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies refers to the isolation and cloning of a single B cell, in order to produce large amounts of its unique antibody.
What are monoclonal antibodies used to do
Identify and treat many diseases
Explain why these antibodies are referred to as ‘monoclonal’
They are antibodies produced from a single clone of B-cells.
Describe how monoclonal antibodies can be used to treat cancers
- Monoclonal antibodies are produced which are specific to antigens on cancer cells
- These antibodies are given to a patient and attach themselves to the receptors on their cancer cells (or immune cells)
- This stops the cancer cell from defending itself against the immune system
