Antibodies Flashcards
What type of structure are antibodies?
Quaternary structure
What hold the polypeptides together?
Disulfide bridges
What are the 4 chains in an amino acid called?
2 light and 2 heavy polypeptide chains
What is the function of the hinge region?
It allows the molecule flexibility to grip onto more than 1 antigen
What is the variable region?
It has a specific shape for a specific antigen
What is the constant region?
It is the same for all antibodies so it can bind easier for phagocytes cells
What are opsinons?
They bind to a specific or non specific antigen and neutralise it so it’s useless and be a marker for the phagocytes to find the pathogen easier and stops it from entering a host cell before a phagocyte finds it
What did agglutinins?
It cross links pathogens and binds to 2 separate pathogens and multiple antibodies join to multiple pathogens to make a clump to make it easier for phagocytes to mind them and to stop them from entering a host cell
What are agglutinins best against?
Viruses
What do antitoxins do?
They bind to molecules that the pathogen releases to make it harmless
What is an example of a non specific opsonins?
They stick to anything that isn’t the self like the peptidoglycan found in bacteria cell wall
How are antitoxins used in medicine?
They can be used to treat a pathogen by giving the patient antibodies from another place to stop the pathogens affect
What is the problem with using antibodies in medicine?
They don’t give immunity because they will disappear and aren’t remembered by the memory cells
What is natural active immunity?
Many own antibodies and memory cells following an infection with a pathogen
What is artificial active immunity?
Makes own antibodies and memory cells following vaccination with an antigen or pathogen that is dead or inactive
