4.1.7- Antibodies Flashcards
(35 cards)
What are anti toxins?
Antibodies that render toxins harmless.
What are opsonins?
A type of antibody that attaches to the antigen on a pathogen, making it easier for the phagocyte to bind.
Explain what shit primary immune response is.
The initial response that is caused by first infection of a pathogen.
What is the secondary immune response?
A more rapid and vigorous response that is caused by a second or subsequent infection of the same pathogen.
Antigens are molecules that can…
Stimulate an immune response.
What are most antigens?
Either proteins or glycoproteins in the plasma membrane of a pathogen.
Antibodies are _________ to the pathogen.
Specific.
How are antigens produced, simply?
The foreign antigen is detected by a he immune system and will stimulate the production of antibodies.
antibodies are __________.
Immunoglobulins.
Explain what an immunoglobulin (an antibody) is.
Complex proteins that are produced by the plasma cells in the immune system.
What shape are antibodies?
Y shaped.
Antibodies consist of ________ chains of polypeptides.
Four.
In an antibody, there are two _______ polypeptide chains and two _______ chains.
Light.
Heavy.
List the four main features of an antibody that help its function.
Hinge region
Disclose bridges
Constant region
Variable region
Explain how disulphides bridges in the antibody help its function.
Holds the chains of polypeptides together stably and keeps the shape of the molecule preserved.
Explain how the constant region of an antibody helps it for ta function.
It is the sand for all antibodies and allows binding to receipts inimitable system cells (eg phagocytes) for the easy binding of these cells.
Explain what the hinge region of an antibody is and how it helps for its function.
It allows flexibility of the molecule so the molecule can grip into more than one antigen- improving the antibodies efficiency.
Explain how the variable region of an antibody helps for its function.
This region forms the antigen binding site and the shape is complementary and specific to the antigen of the pathogen it defends against. It differs between antibodies in terms of shape.
Antigens bind to the surface of an antibody to form a what?
Antigen- Antibody Complex.
The structure of an antibody directly depends on what?
The sequence of amine acids in the polypeptide chain– the primary structure of the protein.
How do antibodies reproduce?
Protein synthesis- translation and transcription
List the three ways an antibody can work in defence against a pathogen.
- Agglutination of pathogens
- Neutralising toxins
- Opsonin action
- Preventing the pathogen from binding to human cells.
Explain how opsonins (a type of antibody) work to defend against a pathogen.
They attach to the antigen on the pathogen and act as the binging site for phagocytes.
Explain how an antibody can work by neutralising a pathogen.
The antibodies (called antitoxins in this case) can being to toxins produced by pathogens- neutralising them and preventing them from binding to human cells. The toxin has a specific shape and the toxin- antibody complex is also phagocytosed.