Question

Instructions for Part 2: Answer the following questions: 1. How does the immune system protect us from disease? 2. How do doctors use the immune response to protect you from disease? 3. How are the antibodies in your body made? 4. How are antibodies that are used in ELISA made? 5. What does ELISA stand for? 6. What enzymes were used in the Labster simulation? Why? 7. Why are enzymes used in this immunoassay? 8. Why do you need to assay positive and negative control samples as well as your experimental samples? 9. If the sample gave a negative result for the antigen, does this mean that the antigen is not present? What reasons could there be for a negative result when the antigen is actually present? 10. What antibody-based tests can you buy at your local pharmacy? 11. How can gene therapy be used to treat a disease? 12. What is a vector? What purpose does it serve in gene therapy? 13. Describe the process of developing and testing a viral gene therapy option (as explored in the Labster simulation). 14. What risks are associated with using gene therapy?

Answer 1

1. The immune system creates a barrier between the invaders or antigens and the body. The immune system have white Blood Cells, T cells and antibodies for the recognition and destruction of the antibodies of the pathogens which already invaded the body. The adaptive immune system allows antibodies to fight the invasive pathogens.

2. The doctor prescribes some medicines to the patients to the patient who is suffering from a disease. The medicine either works as an alternate to the immune system by mimicing the functions of the immune system cells or byu boosting up the components of the immune system.

3. The B lymphocytes (B cells) and and the specialized White Blood Cells makes the Antibodies in our body. when the B cell surface is bounded by an antibody, the B cell is stimulated to divide and mature into identical cells - clones.

4. During ELISA, the antigen samples to be tested are initially attached to a surface on which the matching antibody is applied which can bind to the antigen. These antibodies are predetemined which were made in response to the antigen samples.