In this article we will discuss about the effect and examples of adjuvants. Adjuvants (from Latin adjuvare, to help) are substances that, when mixed with an antigen and injected with it, enhance the immunogenicity of that antigen. Adjuvants are often used to boost the immune response when an antigen has low immunogenicity or when only small amounts of an antigen [...]
In this article we will discuss about the characteristics of epitopes. 1. An antibody that is specific for an antigen binds non-covalently to a region of the molecule surface known as epitope. 2. Naturally occurring epitopes are relatively small (either amino-acids or sugar residues). 3. Specific epitope should fit with the specific site present on antibody (antibody-binding site). 4. The [...]
In this article we will discuss about the active and passive type of acquired immunity. Type # 1. Active Immunity: Adaptive immunity that is induced by natural exposure to a pathogen or by vaccination. It can be categorized into two types: Naturally acquired active immunity: Active immunity is acquired through continuing, subclinical infections, caused by bacteria and viruses, which largely [...]