Antibodies

Question 1

What type of proteins are antibodies

Answer 1

Globular glycoproteins called immunoglobulins

Question 2

Describe the structure of antibodies

Answer 2

Antibodies have a quaternary structure, presented as a Y shape, with 2 ‘heavy’ (long) polypeptide chains bonded by disulfide bonds to 2 ‘light’ (short) polypeptide chains.

Question 3

What two regions does each polypeptide chain have

Answer 3

a constant region and a variable reason

Question 4

Do the constant regions vary

Answer 4

They do not vary within a class (isotope) of antibodies but do vary between the classes.

Question 5

What does the constant region do

Answer 5

Determines the mechanism used to destroy the antigens

Question 6

What is the amino acid sequence in the variable regions of antibodies like for each antibody

Answer 6

each antibodies variable region is made up of a different amino acid sequence

Question 7

What happens at the variable region in the antibody

Answer 7

where the antibody attaches to the antigen to form an antigen - antibody complex

Question 8

What is at the end of the variable region

Answer 8

The antigen - binding site

Question 9

how many amino acids is in each antigen-binding site

Answer 9

110-130 different amino acids

Question 10

How does the antibody get its specificity for binding

Answer 10

The antigen - binding sites vary greatly

Question 11

What is the epitope

Answer 11

part of the antigen that binds to antibody

Question 12

What does the ‘hinge’ region allow the antibody to do

Answer 12

gives flexibility to the antibody which allows different angles when binding to antigens

Question 13

is the ‘hinge’ region present in all classes of antibodies

Answer 13

No

Question 14

What do antigens and their complimentary antibody have

Answer 14

Complementary molecule molecular shapes

Question 15

What happens if an antibody randomly collides with a foreign cell that possesses non-self antigens antigens with a complementary shape

Answer 15

it binds with an antigen to form an antigen-antibody complex

Question 16

How many antigen - binding sites do antibodies have

Answer 16

at least 2

Question 17

What do multiple antigen - binding sites allow antibodies to do

Answer 17

They can bind to more than one bacterium or virus at once

Question 18

What is agglutination

Answer 18

Groups of the same pathogens become clumped together due to multiple antigen - binding sites

Question 19

What does the binding of antibodies to the antigens do

Answer 19

Either neutralises the pathogen or acts like a marker to attract phagocytes to engulf and destroy the pathogen

Question 20

What can phagocytes do as a result of agglutination

Answer 20

Phagocytose many pathogens at the same time

Question 21

What two types of cell do B - Lymphocytes form during an immune system response

Answer 21

Plasma cells and Memory cells

Question 22

What do memory cells form

Answer 22

Immunological memory

Question 23

How long do memory cells last

Answer 23

for many years and often a lifetime

Question 24

What are the two types of immune response

Answer 24

Primary Immune response, Secondary Immune response

Question 25

What happens if the same antigen is found in the body a second time

Answer 25

The memory cells recognise the antigen , divide and differentiate into plasma cells and more memory cells

Question 26

How fast is the secondary immune response

Answer 26

The response is quick, meaning that the infection can be destroyed and removed before pathogen population increases too much