Nature of Antigens and the Major Histocompatibility Complex Flashcards
An ____ is a substance that is specifically recognized by the adaptive immune system.
Antigen
____ is capable of binding to antibodies.
Antigen
____ can’t stimulate antibody production.
Antigen
Antigens can be ____.
Immunogenic or Non-immunogenic
An ____ is a substance capable of causing adaptive response.
Immunogen
____ can bind to antibodies and stimulate its production.
Immunogen
What is the chief distinction between antigens and immunogens?
- Antigen = cannot stimulate immune response.
- Immunogen = can stimulate immune response.
TRUE OR FALSE.
All immunogens are antigens, and all antigens are immunogens.
False
Reason: Antigens cannot stimulate antibody production.
TRUE OR FALSE.
Hapten alone can stimulate antibody production.
False
Reason: Haptens need to bind to carrier-protein first.
Factors Influencing the Immune Response
- Age
- Dose
- Route of Inoculation
- Health status
- Genetics
↑ immune dose = ____.
↑ immune response
____ is the ability of an immunogen to stimulate a host response.
Immunogenicity
Traits of Immunogen
- Macromolecular size
- Chemical composition and molecular complexity
- Foreigness
- Ability to be processed and presented with MHC molecules
The best immunogens have a molecular weight of ____.
100,000 Da
Immunogens should have a molecular weight of at least ____ in order to be recognized.
10,000 Da
The best immunogens have a chemical composition of ____.
proteins and polysaccharides
Immunogens composed of ____ are less immunogenic.
carbohydrates
Immunogens composed of ____ are non-immunogenic.
lipids and nucleic acid
What kind of antigens are not foreign in the body?
Self-antigens
Why can’t Haptens cause immune response on their own?
Because they’re small in size
Main Parts of Antigen
- Antigenic determinant/ Epitope
- Carrier
____ are molecular shapes or configurations that are recognized by B or T cells.
Antigenic determinants (Epitope)
____ is where the antibody binds.
Antigenic determinant (Epitope)
An epitope can be ____.
- Sequential
- Linear
- Conformational
____ are non-immunogenic materials that, when combined with a carrier, create new antigenic determinants.
Haptens
____ is responsible to give the antigen its required size.
Carrier
____ are usually made up of protein.
Carriers
Carriers are usually made up of ____.
protein
The ____ is the number of combining sites.
Valence
____ are precise molecular shapes or configurations recognized by B cells, or the peptide sequences detected by T cells.
Epitopes
Kinds of Epitope
- Linear
- Conformational
Kinds of Epitope
____ consist of sequential amino acids on a single polypeptide chain.
Linear epitopes
Kinds of Epitope
____ result from the folding of one or more polypeptide chains.
Conformational epitopes
____ are capable to recognize both linear and conformational epitopes.
B cells
B cells are capable to recognize ____ epitope.
linear and conformational epitopes
____ respond to linear epitopes.
T cells
T cells are capable to recognize ____ epitope.
linear
____ are substances administered with an immunogen that increases the immune response.
Adjuvants
____ are substances added to the vaccine in order to enhance the immune response.
Adjuvants
How do adjuvants enhance the immune response?
- By prolonging the existence of immunogen.
- By increasing the effective size of immunogen.
- By increasing the number of macrophages involved in antigen processing.
Types of Antigens
- Autoantigens
- Alloantigens
- Heteroantigens
- Heterophile antigens
Types of Antigens
____ are those antigens that belong to the host.
Autoantigens (self-antigens)
Types of Antigens
____ are from other members of the host’s species, and these are capable of eliciting an immune response.
Alloantigens
Types of Antigens
____ are from other species, such as plants, animals, or microorganisms.
Heteroantigens