Antibodies Flashcards
How many polypeptide chains in an antibody?
What type of polypeptide is this?
4, quaternary polypeptide
Name the types of bonds/IMFs in a quaternary polypeptide.
Ionic
Disulfide
H bonds
Name the 2 chains in an antibody.
Light
Heavy
What is the variable region on an antibody?
A region that varies slightly depending on the antigen that the antibody is targeted for.
What is the constant region in an antibody?
The region that stays the same for all antibodies.
What happens when antigens and antibodies bind?
An antigen-antibody complex is produced.
Name the 2 chains found in the variable region of an antibody.
Light and Heavy
Name 2 ways that antibodies can lead to the destruction of antigens.
Agglutination
Neutralisation
What is agglutination?
Antibodies bind to the antigen on the surface of several pathogens, clumping them together.
This makes it easier for phagocytes to find the cells and engulf them.
- When antibiotics kill bacteria, how does water firstly enter the cell?
Osmosis
- When antibiotics kill bacteria, the bacterial cells are prevented from bursting by what substance in their cell wall?
Murein
- When antibiotics kill bacteria, what do they prevent enzymes from doing?
They inhibit the enzymes, preventing preventing peptide cross links in murein from being synthesised.
- When antibiotics kill bacteria, once peptide cross links have been prevented from being formed, what happens to the cell?
If peptide cross links cannot form, this allows water to enter the cell by osmosis, causing the cell to swell and burst.
What is passive immunity?
Immunity is a result of antibodies being introduced into an organism from an outside source. This means that direct contact with the pathogen is not required.
What happens to antibodies introduced from passive immunity?
Antibodies are not replaced once used up unless direct contact with the pathogen occurs.