LAB 11

Question 1

Antigen-antibody reactions are highly specific regions in which …

Answer 1

antigen binding site of an antibody binds to one antigenic determinant (epitope)

Question 2

Antigen-antibody reactions include

Answer 2

Precipitation, agglutination, neutralization of viruses and toxins, immobilization of bacteria, complement fixation, antibody-dependent cytotoxicity and opsonization.

Question 3

Antibodies circulate in the blood and can be tested by

Answer 3

testing the SERUM for the presence of specific antibodies or antigens

Question 4

The discipline that studies antigen-antibody reactions using serum and in vitro diagnostic tools

Answer 4

Serology

Question 5

A type of antibody-antigen reaction that occurs between soluble antigens and their respective specific antibody

Answer 5

Precipitation

Question 6

What do we use to study precipitation

Answer 6

Gel immunodiffusion

Question 7

Gel immunodiffusion uses what type of agar?

Answer 7

Saline agarose

Question 8

Antibody in the serum

Answer 8

antiserum

Question 9

Double diffusion

Answer 9

when both solutions diffuse out of the well

Question 10

If the serum has a specific antibody that recognizes the soluble antigen, what will form at the region where their paths cross (region of optimal proportions) ?

Answer 10

a white precipitin line

Question 11

What is a precipitation reaction

Answer 11

when the antigen binding site of an antibody binds to one epitope, both are soluble antigens and create a white line

Question 12

Antigenic determinant

Answer 12

a portion of a foreign protein, or antigen, that is capable of stimulating an immune response - where an antibody can bind

Question 13

When specific antibodies combine with antigenic determinants, visible clumps produce?
The clumps represent what?

Answer 13

agglutination

Crosslinking of antigens w/ various antibodies

Question 14

What is used to enhance the observation of clumps in agglutination reaction?

Answer 14

Latex beads - which have specific antibodies absorbed into the latex particles

Question 15

Using commercial kits to allow specific id of the unknown bacterium using antibodies attached to latex beads is called

Answer 15

indirect agglutination

Question 16

Explain the difference between precipitation and agglutination

Answer 16

Precipitation is an antibody reaction that occurs between soluble antigens and their antibody. A white line appears where the 2 cross paths and the antibody binds to the antigen. This also uses saline agarose media

Agglutination is a specific reaction between antibodies and epitopes on antigens that produce clumps from the crosslinking. This method uses latex beads to enhance observation. This uses an agglutination card and test latex

Question 17

What role do latex beads play in agglutination?

Answer 17

These beads have specific antibodies absorbed into the latex particles when they come in contact with the specific antigen, it enhances the observation of clumping

Question 18

Why are controls important?

Answer 18

To verify that its not a false positive or negative

Question 19

Iron is required for

Answer 19

Proper function of enzymes involved in respiration, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, amino acid synthesis, TCA cycle, electron transport chain

Question 20

Iron is considered an essential

Answer 20

trace element

Question 21

As part of the bodys natural defense against bacteria, iron is limited by

Answer 21

Sequestration - bound by carrier molecules and stored inside of cells

Question 22

Common sequestration molecules include

Answer 22

Hemoglobin in RBC, myoglobin in muscle cells, lactoferrin in secretions and ferritin in hepatocytes