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Health, Disease and the Development of Medicines

Monoclonal antibodies

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 1

Overview

Monoclonal antibodies made by fusing lymphocytes with tumour cells into hybridomas, cloning them and collecting the antibodies, and their use in pregnancy tests, locating blood clots and cancer cells and delivering anti-cancer drugs, with the advantages over radiotherapy and ordinary drugs.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What is a monoclonal antibody?

Key term

Explain why an animal is injected with an antigen at the start of monoclonal antibody production.

Key term

Explain why lymphocytes alone cannot be used to make large quantities of an antibody.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is a monoclonal antibody?

    Model answer

    A monoclonal antibody is one made by identical cells derived from a single lymphocyte, so every molecule binds to the same antigen.

  2. 2

    Explain why an animal is injected with an antigen at the start of monoclonal antibody production.

    Model answer

    The injection makes its lymphocytes produce the particular antibody that is wanted.

  3. 3

    Explain why lymphocytes alone cannot be used to make large quantities of an antibody.

    Model answer

    A lymphocyte makes the desired antibody but does not keep dividing in culture, so it cannot be grown in large numbers.

  4. 4

    What is a hybridoma cell?

    Model answer

    A hybridoma is a cell made by fusing a lymphocyte with a tumour cell.

  5. 5

    Explain why a tumour cell is used to make a hybridoma.

    Model answer

    Tumour cells divide rapidly and keep on dividing, so the hybridoma can multiply indefinitely.

  6. 6

    Explain why a hybridoma can do something neither of its parent cells can do alone.

    Model answer

    It combines the antibody production of the lymphocyte with the rapid division of the tumour cell.

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