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The Immune System

Antibodies and testing for TB and HIV

  • 3 things to know
  • Components 01, 02 and 03

Overview

Recall questions on antibody structure, variable and constant regions and the hinge, agglutination, antibody and antigen tests for HIV and the window period, testing babies of HIV-positive mothers, the Mantoux test and its limits, and interferon-gamma and urine antigen tests for tuberculosis.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Describe the polypeptide chains that make up an antibody molecule.

Key term

What is an antibody?

Key term

Why can each antibody bind only one type of antigen?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is an antibody?

    Model answer

    An antibody is a glycoprotein, also called an immunoglobulin, secreted by plasma cells and able to bind specifically to one antigen.

  2. 2

    Describe the polypeptide chains that make up an antibody molecule.

    Model answer

    An antibody is made of four chains, two identical long heavy chains and two identical short light chains, held together in a Y shape by disulfide bridges.

  3. 3

    Where on an antibody molecule are the antigen-binding sites found?

    Model answer

    At the tips of the two arms of the Y, each formed by the variable regions of a heavy and a light chain together.

  4. 4

    Why can each antibody bind only one type of antigen?

    Model answer

    The amino acid sequence of the variable region differs between antibodies, giving each binding site a tertiary structure that is complementary in shape to just one antigen.

  5. 5

    What is the function of the hinge region of an antibody?

    Model answer

    It gives the two arms flexibility, so the binding sites can move apart and attach to two antigens that are not a fixed distance apart.

  6. 6

    State one function of the constant region of an antibody.

    Model answer

    It binds to receptors on the surface of phagocytes, so that a coated pathogen is recognised and engulfed.

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