Antibodies secreted by plasma cells may have several different effects - (1) They may interact with free (i.e., soluble) antigens causing precipitation; (2) They may interact with surface antigens of the pathogen (i.e., particulate antigens) causing agglutination; or (3) They may promote complement fixation. 1. Precipitation of Soluble Antigens: Antigens may have one or more antigenic determinants. If antigens contain [...]
Are you looking for an essay on ‘Lymphocytes and the Immune Response’ ? Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Lymphocytes and the Immune Response’ especially written for school and college students. 1. Precipitation of Soluble Antigens: Antigens may have one or more antigenic determinants. If antigens contain one determinant, they are called monodeterminants; if they contain two determinants, they [...]
The human body is capable of synthesising more than a million different kinds of immunoglobulin molecules, each capable of reacting with a different antigen, but all of them appear to share the same fundamental quaternary (globular) structure. Typically, an immunoglobulin molecule is a Y-shaped heteromer and composed of two identical heavy (H) polypeptide chains and two smaller identical light (L) [...]