Monoclonal Antibodies Uses

Question 1

What is the main use of Monoclonal antibodies?

Answer 1

Pregnancy Tests

Question 2

What is the name of the hormone that women have when pregnant?

Answer 2

HCG

Question 3

How do pregnancy tests Work?

Answer 3

1. The part of the stick that you urinate on has blue beads covered in monoclonal antibodies that are specific to HCG; these are mobile(can move).
2. On the other side of the test strip, they are more monoclonal antibodies specific to HCG that are fixed to the strip and are immobile

Question 4

If pregnant…

Answer 4

1. If pregnant when you urinate on the stick, the HCG in the urine will bind itself to the monoclonal antibodies attached to the blue beads.
2. As the urine moves up the test strip, the blue beads, antibodies, and HCG move with it and it binds to HCG and also binds to the immobilised monoclonal antibodies.
3. The blue beads then get stuck, turning the pregnancy test blue.

Question 5

If not pregnant…

Answer 5

The blue beads covered in monoclonal will stick move up the stick but will not bind to the fixed antibodies as there is no HCG hormone to bind to.

Question 6

What is a control window?

Answer 6

A control window is something that tells you whether the test has worked correctly or not.

The test should be blue regardless of the whether it is positive or negative

Question 7

Name two other uses of Monoclonal antibodies

Answer 7

Diagnostics
Locating or identifying specific molecules