Antibody Structure

Question 1

What is the binding site?

Answer 1

• an area if 110 amino acids on both chains
• it is a different shape on each antibody and gives the antibody its specificity.

Question 2

What is the hinge site?

Answer 2

• provides the molecule with flexibility, allowing it to bind two separate antigens, once at each of its antigen-binding sites

Question 3

What is the light chain?

Answer 3

• the part of each chain that is different in every antibody molecule.
• This means that each antibody is specific to a particular antigen

Question 4

What is the heavy chain?

Answer 4

• the part of each chain is the same in each antibody molecule
• it binds to receptors on phagocytes and mast cells

Question 5

What are disulfide bonds?

Answer 5

• made up of two identical long polypetide chains called the heavy chains and two much smaller chains called light chains
• the chains are held by disulfide bonds