There are five major immunoglobulin (Ig) classes namely: 1. IgG 2. IgA 3. IgD 4. IgM 5. IgE. Class # 1. IgG: (a) It constitutes 75% of the total serum immunoglobulin in human. (b) During the secondary immune response, it is the major Ig to be synthesized. Hence, it plays a vital role in the defense against infection. (c) It [...]
The very basic structure of an immunoglobulin (antibody) molecule can be demonstrated under following points: Polypeptide chains: Antibody molecules have a common structure of four polypeptide chains, having two different sizes. These are a pair of identical high molecular weight chains called Heavy chains (H-chains) and a pair of identical low molecular weight chains called Light chains (L-chains). Each light [...]
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 [...]