Posted: April 21st, 2017
In your own words: What is an antigen? What is antigenic determinant/epitope? What is an antibody?
e pre-lab evaluation questions must be answered prior to lab and demonstrated to your lab instructor. You must read through the assigned chapter readings, lab introduction, objectives, overview and procedure to answer these questions.
Please cite your work for any reference source you utilize in answering these questions.
- In your own words: What is an antigen? What is antigenic determinant/epitope? What is an antibody? What is an antigen-antibody interaction/reaction?
An antigen is any substance that can cause an immune response-antibodies. An epitope (antigenic determinant) is a site on the surface of an antigen where a single antibody binds. An antibody is a Y shaped protein that functions to identify and remove a foreign antigen like a bacteria or virus. An antigen-antibody reaction is a specific chemical reaction between antibodies and antigens during an immune response.
- How do antibodies in our body function to provide protection against pathogens?
They function in binding directly to antigens to prevent damage to healthy cells by blocking the pathogen, stimulating other parts of the immune system to destroy pathogens, and they also mark pathogens through opsonization (phagocytosis.)
- Briefly compare and contrast innate and adaptive body defenses?
Innate-already present in the body, very quick (lasts hours), nonspecific ex: WBC’s fighting an infection causing swelling and redness when you get a cut.
Adaptive-created in response to a foreigner in the body. Very specific. The body produces antibodies against the foreigner and will then not get affected in the future by that invader. Ex: vaccines.
- In your words, briefly describe the difference between humoral and cellular adaptive body defenses.