Disease Flashcards
What are antibodies?
Y-Shaped glycoproteins made by B cells of the immune system in response to the presence of an antigen
What is a specific immune response?
The immune system 'remembers' an antigen after an initial response leading to an enhanced response to subsequent encounters
What shape are
antibodies?
Y shaped
Where do T-cells mature
Thymus gland
Where do B-cells
mature
bone marrow
What is the function of B plasma cells?
To produce antibodies
How does the
sequence of amino
acids affect an
antibody?
The sequence of amino acids determines the shape of the variable region (sequence of amino acids) and so which antigen is detected
How many
polypeptide chains
does an antibody
contain?
4
What type of
molecule is an
antibody?
protein
What is the
relationship between
the two light chains of
antibodies?
They are identical
What is the
relationship between
the two heavy chains
of antibodies?
They are identical
What sort of proteins are antibodies?
Globular.
How many binding
sites are there on an
antibody?
Where are they?
3
Two antigen binding sites
One receptor site that allows the body to recognise the antibody as self
How are all antibodies similar?
They share the same common region
What type of bonding
occurs between the
heavy and light
strands in antibodies?
disulfide
How are the heavy
strands attached in
antibodies?
Disulfide bonds
How many light
strands are in an
antibody?
2
How many heavy strands in an antibody
2
What is the
relationship between
the variable region
and the antigen?
They have
complementary
shapes
What allows for
sulfide bonding?
The amino
acid cysteine
Why do antibodies
have a hinge?
Allows antibodies to flex slightly and accommodate differently sized antigens
What is the difference
between the light and
heavy chains of an
antibody?
The light chains are
much shorter than the
heavy chains
How many amino
acids form a binding
site?
110
What is formed when
an antibody binds to
an antigen?
An antigen-
antibody complex
-Act as opsonins