More On Monoclonal Antibodies

Question 1

what hormone is found in the urine of women only when they are pregnant

Answer 1

HCG

Question 2

what do pregnancy test sticks actually detect

Answer 2

the hormone HCG in the woman’s urine

Question 3

what does the part of the pregnancy test that women wee on contain

Answer 3

• antibodies to the hormone HCG

- with blue beads attached

Question 4

what is the test strip in the pregnancy test and what does it contain

Answer 4

• the test strip is the bit of the stick that turns blue when youre pregnant
• it contains some more antibodies to the hormone stuck onto it

Question 5

why are the antibodies on the test strip stuck onto it

Answer 5

so that they cant move

Question 6

what happens when you wee on the stick and you are pregnant

Answer 6

• the hormone HCG will bind to the antibodies attached to the blue beads
• the flow of liquid will carry the blue beads with the hormone attached to the test strip
• the antibodies on the test strip will also bind to the hormone that is attached to the blue beads (which still have the antibody on them)
• this keeps the blue beads in place as the antibodies in the strip are stuck down
• therefore turning the strip blue and indicating you are pregnant

Question 7

what happens when you wee on the stick and you are not pregnant

Answer 7

• there is no HCG in the womans urine, so the antibodies on the blue beads dont attach to anything
• the blue beads are still carried to the test strip with the flow of liquid
• but they wont attach to the antibodies stuck on the test strip as there is no hormone for them to attach on the blue beads (specifically, the antibodies on the blue beads)
• so the blue beads will continue to get carried by the flow of liquid and nothing turns blue

Question 8

what can you do if you use different antibodies in the pregnancy test

Answer 8

• you can use this test to find other substances in a sample of urine
• such as antigens on pathogens

Question 9

what is a blood clot

Answer 9

• proteins in the blood joining together

- to from a solid mesh

Question 10

what have monoclonal antibodies been designed to do relating to blood clots

Answer 10

they have been designed to be able to bind to the proteins that form blood clots

Question 11

how are monoclonal antibodies used to find blood clots

Answer 11

• you attach a radioactive element to the monoclonal antibodies that attach to the proteins that form a blood clot
• you inject them into the body
• they will bind to the proteins in the blood clot and be concentrated at that spot
• if you take a picture using a camera that detect radiation
• the picture will have a bright spot where there is a blood clot (as the monoclonal antibodies are bind to it there)

Question 12

why is it useful to have the ability to detect blood clots using monoclonal antibodies

Answer 12

• because you can find a potentially harmful blood clot

- and get rid of it before it harms the patient