Why are the mouse B cells that are responsible for producing monoclonal antibodies hybridized with cancerous myeloma cells?

• A. B cells cannot replicate forever but cancerous myeloma cells can.
• B. B cells and myeloma cells create antibodies, hybridizing them increases the number of antibodies produced.
• C. Hybridization will ensure that the antibodies created by the B cells will recognize and bind to the myeloma cells.
• D. Hybridization will ensure that the antibodies have human qualities and will not be rejected by the patient’s body.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that mouse B cells are responsible for producing specific monoclonal antibodies but have a limited lifespan and cannot divide indefinitely in culture.
2. Recognize that cancerous myeloma cells have the ability to proliferate endlessly, providing an immortal cell line.
3. Hybridize (fuse) the mouse B cells with the myeloma cells to create hybridoma cells that combine the antibody-producing ability of B cells with the immortality of myeloma cells.
4. This fusion allows the hybridoma cells to continuously produce large quantities of a single type of monoclonal antibody over an extended period.
5. Therefore, the purpose of hybridizing B cells with myeloma cells is to overcome the limited lifespan of B cells by using the myeloma cells' capacity for unlimited replication.