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What distinguishes antibodies from antibiotics in terms of their action against pathogens?
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Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system to neutralize pathogens, while antibiotics are medications used to kill bacteria.
What process do B lymphocytes undergo upon stimulation and what is the outcome?
B lymphocytes undergo clonal expansion, resulting in the formation of plasma cells that produce and release antibodies.
How do antibodies aid in virus neutralization?
Antibodies bind to viral antigens, preventing the virus from infecting cells and replicating.
Explain the role of the hinge region in antibodies.
The hinge region provides flexibility to enable antibodies to clump pathogens together for effective phagocytosis.
What role do disulfide bridges play in the structure of antibodies?
Disulfide bridges are strong covalent bonds that link the two heavy and two light polypeptide chains in an antibody, maintaining its structural integrity.
In what way do antibodies assist in the phagocytosis of bacteria?
Antibodies can bind to bacterial flagella, slowing down bacterial movement and making them easier targets for phagocytes.
How are plasma cells related to antibodies in the immune response?
Plasma cells are derived from B lymphocytes and are responsible for producing and releasing antibodies during an immune response.
What happens during antibody-mediated pathogen clumping and why is it significant?
Antibodies cause pathogens to clump together, hindering their movement and making them easier targets for phagocytosis.
Describe opsonization and its importance in the function of antibodies.
Opsonization is the process where antibodies enhance phagocytosis by binding to receptors on phagocytes, aiding in efficient pathogen elimination.
What structural components classify antibodies as quarternary globular glycoproteins?
Antibodies contain more than one polypeptide chain (quaternary structure), have a globular shape due to water solubility, and include glycoprotein elements with sugars attached to proteins.
What characteristic of antibodies allows them to bind to specific antigens?
The variable region of antibodies includes differing amino acid sequences that allow them to bind to specific antigens.
Identify the structural components of an antibody.
An antibody consists of two heavy polypeptide chains and two light polypeptide chains, linked by disulfide bridges, forming its quarternary structure.
Why is clonal expansion critical in the immune response?
Clonal expansion allows for the rapid proliferation of B lymphocytes into plasma cells, increasing the production of antibodies to combat an infection effectively.
Differentiate between the antigen binding site and the constant region of an antibody.
The antigen binding site has variable amino acid sequences to bind specific antigens, whereas the constant region has an identical amino acid sequence across different antibodies.
How do antibodies neutralize bacterial toxins?
Antibodies bind to bacterial toxins, preventing them from causing cellular damage.
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