24 - Immune biotechnology: natural and therapeutic antibodies

Question 1

Pathogens

Answer 1

An organism or virus that causes disease

Question 2

Antigens

Answer 2

A substance that elicits an immune response by binding to receptors of B or T cells

Question 3

Lymphocytes

Answer 3

A type of white blood cell that mediates immune responses. The two main classes are B and T cells

Question 4

B cells

Answer 4

The lymphocytes that complete their development in the bone marrow and become effector cells for the humoral immune response.

Question 5

Binding site

Answer 5

is a specific region on a molecule, such as a protein or nucleic acid, where another molecule, such as a ligand, substrate, or ion, can form a stable interaction

Question 6

Heavy chains

Answer 6

One of the two types of polypeptide chains that make up an antibody molecule and B cell receptor; consists of a variable region, which contributes to the antigen-binding site, and a constant region

Question 7

Light chain

Answer 7

One of the two types of polypeptide chains that make up an antibody molecule and B cell receptor; consists of a variable region, which contributes to the antigen-binding site, and a constant region

Question 8

Variable regions

Answer 8

refers to the part of an antibody or immunoglobulin that is responsible for recognizing and binding to specific antigens

Question 9

Constant regions

Answer 9

refers to the part of an antibody (immunoglobulin) that is relatively uniform in its amino acid sequence and structure across different antibodies of the same class.

Question 10

epitope

Answer 10

A small, accessible region of an antigen to which an antigen receptor or antibody binds

Question 11

Plasma cells

Answer 11

are a type of white blood cell that originates from B lymphocytes (B cells) and is primarily responsible for producing and secreting antibodies

Question 12

Memory cells

Answer 12

are a type of lymphocyte that plays a crucial role in the adaptive immune system by providing long-term immunity after an initial exposure to an antigen.

Question 13

Antibodies

Answer 13

A protein secreted by plasma cells (differentiated B cells) that binds to a particular antigen; also called immunoglobulin. All antibodies have the same Y shaped structure and in their monomer form consist of two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains

Question 14

Neutralization

Answer 14

refers to the process by which antibodies render a pathogen or its toxins harmless, preventing them from infecting cells or causing damage.

Question 15

Opsonization

Answer 15

is a process by which pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, are marked for destruction and removal by the immune system.

Question 16

Complement system

Answer 16

A group of about 30 blood proteins that may amplify the inflammatory response, enhance phagocytosis, or directly lyse extracellular pathogens

Question 17

Variable segments

Answer 17

refer to specific regions within the genes that encode the variable regions of antibodies and T cell receptors

Question 18

Joining segments

Answer 18

are specific regions within the genes that contribute to the formation of the variable regions of antibodies and T cell receptors.

Question 19

Constant segments

Answer 19

is the part that does not vary among different antibodies of the same class or isotype. It determines the class

Question 20

Recombinase

Answer 20

a type of enzyme that facilitates the rearrangement of DNA sequences within a genome.

Question 21

Primary response

Answer 21

he initial immune response that occurs when the body is first exposed to a pathogen, such as a virus or bacterium.

Question 22

Attenuated virus

Answer 22

is a virus that has been weakened or modified so that it is no longer capable of causing disease in healthy individuals.

Question 23

Passaging

Answer 23

the process of repeatedly culturing microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses, in a laboratory setting

Question 24

Inactivated virus

Answer 24

is a virus that has been rendered non-infectious through physical or chemical means, such as heat or formaldehyde

Question 25

DNA vaccines

Answer 25

are a type of vaccine that uses a small, circular piece of DNA called a plasmid to introduce genetic material encoding a specific antigen from a pathogen into the body.

Question 26

Plasmid

Answer 26

A small, circular double-stranded DNA molecule that carries accessory genes separate from those of a bacterial chromosome; in DNA cloning, plasmids are used as vectors carrying up to about 10,000 base pairs of DNA. Plasmids are also found in some eukaryotes, such as yeasts.

Question 27

Vector based vaccines

Answer 27

are a type of vaccine that uses a virus or bacterium (the vector) to deliver genetic material encoding an antigen from a pathogen into the body. The vector is typically harmless or attenuated, meaning it cannot cause disease

Question 28

Vector

Answer 28

are vehicles used to deliver genetic material into cells. These vectors are often modified viruses or plasmids that can safely introduce DNA or RNA into host cells to produce a desired protein or antigen.

Question 29

Hybridoma

Answer 29

is a cell line created by fusing an antibody-producing B cell with a myeloma (cancer) cell. This fusion results in a hybrid cell that combines the desirable properties of both parent cells: the ability of the B cell to produce a specific antibody and the myeloma cell’s capacity for continuous growth and division.

Question 30

Monoclonal antibodies

Answer 30

Any of a preparation of antibodies that have been produced by a single clone of cultured cells and thus are all specific for the same epitope