Humoural Immunity

Question 1

What are the features of an antibody?

Answer 1

Variable region
Constant region
Light polypeptide chains
Heavy polypeptide chains
Antigen binding site
Hinge region

Question 2

What kinds of bonds are in an antibody?

Answer 2

Disulfide bridges

Question 3

What is the role of the antigen binding site?

Answer 3

MATCHES THE EPITOPES OF ANTIGENS
• VARY BETWEEN ANTIBODIES AS
THEY HAVE SPECIFIC AMINO ACID
SEQUENCES UNIQUE TO AN ANTIGEN

Question 4

What is an epitope?

Answer 4

The part of the antigen which binds to the antibody

Question 5

What is the role of the hinge region?

Answer 5

GIVES FLEXIBILITY WHICH ALLOWS
THE ANTIGEN-BINDING SITE TO BE
PLACED AT DIFFERENT ANGLES WHEN
BINDING TO ANTIGENS (IT IS NOT
PRESENT ON ALL IMMUNOGLOBULINS)

Question 6

What do antibodies do?

Answer 6

Form an Antibody-antigen complex
stimulating the digestion by
phagocytosis.

Question 7

What is agglutination?

Answer 7

One antibody binds to two pathogens, causing them to clump together
This makes pathogens more easily
engulfed by phagocytosis

Question 8

What is neutralisation?

Answer 8

• Antibodies can act as antitoxins,
binding with toxins produced by
pathogens
• This makes them harmless