Chapter 50.6, Problem 2LO

Summary Introduction

To define: Monoclonal antibodies.

Introduction: The immune system in the human body can tolerate the antigens in its own red blood cell but produce antibodies to antigens that differ. This binding activity results in clumping (agglutination) and destruction of the foreign cells. To a known antigen, antibodies can be obtained by purifying an antigen chemically and injecting it into a laboratory vertebrate animal. However, an antigen generally possesses several different epitopes and thus the antibodies obtained using this method is polyclonal.