monoclonal antibodies Flashcards
what do monoclonal antibodies do
they produce an endless amount of antibodies of the same type
what is an antigen
these are any foreign molecule that triggers an immune response
they are not completely made of proteins
what is an antibody
these are proteins that are made of lymphocytes
they bind and stop antigens
how do you make monoclonal antibodies
1) inject a specific antigen into an animal
2) lymphocytes are activated by the animals immune system and they will release antibodies
3)extract the spleen of the animal which will contain lymphocytes
4)fuse the lymphocytes with tumor cells( to make then divide uncontrollably)
5) this creates a hybridoma
6) isolate the antibodies from hybridoma
7) this will create an endless supply of antibodies as the hybridoma will divide uncontrollably in a petri dish
why do we need to fuse lymphocytes with tumour cells in monoclonal antibodies
as lymphocytes cannot divide once they start releasing antibodies
hybridoma
this is a cell which is able to release antibodies but also carry on dividing
what are the different uses of antibodies
-they can be used to treat cancer
-they can identify blood clots
-used in pregnancy/covid tests
-can detect various chemicals in blood, this includes levels of hormones
what are antibiotics
these are any chemicals that will stop bacterial growth
what are the two ways antibiotics may kill bacteria
1) they can target specific enzymes of bacterial cells that catalyse life processes eg: RNA polymerase
2) they can also pierce the bacterial call wall. this causes the bacteria to die.
what are the components a virus may have
-genome (DNA/RNA)
-proteins attatched to genome
-lipid enovelope(similar to cell membrane)
-capsid(protien coat)
what are the two stages of testing antibiotics
pre clinical stage
clinical stage
what happens in the pre clinical stage of testing antibiotics
1) tested on cultured cells
2) tested on animals grown in labs
3) tested on primates
what happens in the clinical stage of testing antibiotics
1) tested on healthy volunteers
2) tested on affected patients
3) double blind trials with patients and healthy volunteers
