Briefly describe antibodies; their structure and their function
What will be an ideal response?
Antibodies are proteins that are produced by various white blood cells and secreted into the blood and lymph. They circulate; they're not "stuck" to the white blood cells that produce them (common misconception). Ultimately, an antibody binds to an appropriate antigen on the surface of the infectious agent. They are a Y shaped molecule, with two light chains and two heavy chains, and the antigen binding site is on the "arm" of the Y. This binding is similar to an enzyme and its substrate- it is extremely specific. It is critical to understand that we have the potential to make more than 100 million different types of antibodies that have the potential to bind to the more than 100 million different types of antigens. The function of the antibody is to literally mark the foreign cell that presents the foreign antigen for destruction by the phagocytes. So certain white blood cells produce antigens, other white blood cells phagocytize the marked foreign cells based on the antibody marker.
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The giant interconnected global ecosystem is called the
A. global community. B. biosphere. C. ecosphere. D. trophic web.
Each DNA nucleotide is composed of ____
a. a six-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and one of twenty amino acids b. a five-carbon sugar, a nitrogenous base, and one of twenty amino acids c. a five-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogenous bases d. a six-carbon sugar, a nitrogenous base, and one of four amino acids e. a five-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four amino acids
Protists are ____
a. the simplest of eukaryotes b. generally aquatic c. members of a single kingdom d. the simplest of eukaryotes, and are generally aquatic e. the simplest of eukaryotes, generally aquatic, and members of a single kingdom
Compared to modern humans, Neanderthals were ____.
A. skinnier B. shorter C. more numerous D. more widely dispersed E. small brained