5.10 Humoral adaptive immunity and B lmyphocyte

what are the steps in humoral immunity activation?

1. Clonal Selection: A new antigen enters a lymph node and binds to a specific, matching naïve B cell that recognizes it.

2. T Cell Activation: Helper T cells bind to the same antigen and release chemical signals (cytokines) to activate that specific B cell.

3. Clonal Expansion: The activated B cell divides rapidly to create a large clone of identical cells.

4. Differentiation: These cells become two distinct types:

→ Plasma Cells: Short-lived cells that immediately secrete large amounts of antibodies to fight the current infection.

→ Memory B Cells: Long-lived cells that stay in the lymph nodes to launch a faster, stronger attack if the same antigen ever returns.

what is the constant region?

• the section of an antibody that does not vary by antibodies of the same class

what is the variable region?

the region that is unique to each anitbody - where a specific antibody is able to bind

what is a way to remeber the effects of antibodies?

A good way to remember the effects of antibodies is to use the acronym PIANO

Precipitation

Inflammation

Agglutination

Neutralisation (of pathogens and toxins)

Opsonisation.