Human Bio Unit 1 - Antibodies

Question 0

Why does influenza take so long to recover from?

Answer 0

Because the virus changes every year - antibiotic variability

Means body has no B memory cells for that strain of antigen so has to make new ones

Question 1

How do antibodies fight antigens?

Answer 1

Form antibody-antigen complexes by binding with them

Then stop the pathogen communicating with other cells

Lets it die

Question 2

Antibody structure

Answer 2

Made from 4 protein chains

2 heavy and 2 light

2 binding sites - to bind to antigen

Rest called the constant region

Y shape

Question 3

What is a humoral response?

Answer 3

When the body produces antibodies to fight antigens

Question 4

Where are antigens found?

Answer 4

On pathogens

Question 5

What is a polyclonal response?

Answer 5

When the body produces different antibodies to fight multiple types of anitgen

Question 6

What makes the antibody specific to fighting a certain antigen?

Answer 6

The binding site

Question 7

Monoclonal antibodies

Answer 7

Antibodies that are highly specific

Recognise a single antigen

Question 8

Production of monoclonal antigens

Answer 8

Immunisation of a mouse to stimulate antibody production

Antibody-forming cells isolated from spleen

Tumour cells grown in tissue culture

Antibody forming cells fused with tumour cells to form hybridomas

Hybridomas screened for antibody production

Antibody producing hybridomas cloned

Monoclonal antibodies isolated and cultivated

Question 9

How do you get the tumour cells and antibody producing cells in monoclonal antibody production to bind?

Answer 9

Detergent

Disrupts phospholipid bilayer

Question 10

Ethical issues of monoclonal antibody production

Answer 10

Using mice

Humanisation of mice - transgenic

Dangers - unknown side effects

Question 11

Potential roles of monoclonal antibodies

Answer 11

Immunoassay:

Detecting substances in a mixture

Separation of chemicals in a mixture

Treating cancer

Transplant surgery

Question 12

Immunoassay

Answer 12

Antibodies combining with antigens

Question 13

Using monoclonal antibodies to detect substance in a mixture

Answer 13

They will react with certain substances

Can be used in pregnancy tests

Question 14

Using monoclonal antibodies in separation of chemicals from a mixture

Answer 14

Substances pass through beads with antibody on

If they match the antibody they get stuck to it and don’t pass through

Question 15

Using monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer

Answer 15

Could make antibodies specific to cancer cells

Saves healthy cells being damaged

Question 16

Using monoclonal antibodies in transplant surgery

Answer 16

Bind T cells that would attack the donor organ

Question 17

What causes B cells to produce antibodies?

Answer 17

T helper cells recognise antigens

T helper cells release chemicals to stimulate B cells

Plasma cells produce antibodies

Question 18

Why is it hard to develop a vaccine against HIV?

Answer 18

Many different forms of antigen on different HIV particles

Antibodies are specific in shape

So won’t bind to antigen with different shape

Vaccine unlikely to be effective against HIV with different antigen