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• What are monoclonal antibodies?


  Identical copies of one type of antibody
• Why are monoclonal antibodies so good?

  They bind to antigens on other substances and not just pathogens, making the substances to easily be identified and deal with
• How are monoclonal antibodies produced?

  • An antigen is injected into a mouse
  • The mouse naturally produces lymphocytes, which produce antibodies specific to the antigen
  • Spleen cells which produce the lymphocytes are removed during a small operation
  • The spleen cells are fused with human cancerous white blood cells called myeloma cells to form hybridoma cells which divide indefinitely
  • These hybridoma cells divide and produce millions of monoclonal antibodies specific to the original antigen
• What are two possible uses of monoclonal antibodies?

  pregnancy tests

  Cancer diagnosis and treatment