Humoral response

• What is the humoral response?

  • the production of antibodies

  1. B lymphocytes mature in the spleen and lymph nodes
  2. Receptors on their cell membrane respond to foreign proteins in the blood, and they divide, making:

  • plasma cells: which release antibodies
  • memory cells: which remain dormant in circulation but divide to form more B lymphocytes if the antigen is encountered again
• What are antibodies?

  Y shaped glycoproteins also called immunoglobulins

  • they have quaternary protein structure as they are made of 4 polypeptides, held together by disulphide bonds
  • each antibody is specific to an antigen
• Label the structure of an antibody

  A) light chain

  B) heavy chain

  C) the hinge region

  D) antigen binding sites

  E) antigen

  
• What is agglutination?

  Microbes with antigens on their surface allow for the antibodies to bind and are then clumped together

  • this allows more efficient engulfing by phagocytic cells