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Antibody definitions

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  • Antibody
    Y-shaped protein produced by B cells, binds specifically to antigens at their epitopes, central to humoral immunity and biochemical assays.
  • Immunoglobulin
    Alternate name for antibody, classified into five types based on heavy chain differences, crucial for adaptive immune response.
  • Antigen
    Any substance provoking an immune response, contains epitopes recognized and bound by antibodies.
  • Epitope
    Precise site on an antigen where an antibody binds, determines specificity of immune recognition.
  • B Cell
    Immune cell responsible for producing antibodies, key player in humoral immunity.
  • Heavy Chain
    Larger polypeptide component of an antibody, determines antibody class and structure.
  • Light Chain
    Smaller polypeptide component of an antibody, identical across all antibody classes.
  • Disulfide Bond
    Covalent linkage between cysteine residues, stabilizes antibody structure by connecting polypeptide chains.
  • Variable Region
    N-terminal domain of antibody chains, contains antigen binding site, varies among antibodies for specificity.
  • Constant Region
    Domain of antibody chains that remains unchanged, recognized by immune cells, forms the stem and hinge.
  • Fab Region
    Fragment of antibody containing antigen binding sites, located at the prongs of the Y structure.
  • Fc Region
    Fragment of antibody containing constant region, forms the stem, interacts with immune cell receptors.
  • IgG
    Most abundant antibody class in blood, protects against bacterial and viral infections, involved in secondary immune response.
  • IgA
    Antibody class concentrated in mucus membranes and saliva, forms dimers, protects mucosal surfaces.
  • IgM
    First antibody produced during infection, forms pentamers, initiates primary immune response.
  • Monoclonal Antibody
    Identical antibodies from a single B cell clone, bind to the same epitope, used in precise biochemical assays.
  • Polyclonal Antibody
    Mixture of antibodies from different B cells, target multiple epitopes on the same antigen, useful for broad detection.