Question

1 and 2 need help

Describe the structure of an antibody. Name the five major kinds of antibodies and provide two sentences on what that kind of antibody does for the immune system (more than lab handout explanation).

Answer 1

(1)

Each antibody consists of 4 polypeptide chains– 2 heavy chains and 2 light chains held together by disulfide bonds to form a "Y" shaped molecule. The antigen-binding site of the antibody is referred to as paratope (also called the variable region of the antibody) gives the antibody its specificity for binding antigen. It is called so because the amino acid sequence in this region varies greatly among different antibodies. The constant region at the bottom will determine the function and tissue distribution.

Types of antibodies:

5 classes of immunoglobulins are known: IgM, IgD, IgG, IgA, IgE.