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| Epitope |
Specific portions of antigen molecule trigger immune responses.These portions/regions are called as
Antigenic determinants or epitopes.Most antigens have many antigenic determinants/epitopes.Each of which induces production of different type of antibody or proliferation of '
T' cells. As a rule antigenic determinants/epitopes are foreign substance and they are not usually a part of chemistry of the body. However, sometimes the immune system fails to make correct distinctions.These,then result in an auto-immune disorder in which self molecules or body's own cells are attacked as though/as if they were foreign.
Immune cells do not interact with,or,recognize,an entire immunogen molecule; instead, lymphocytes recognize discrete sites on the the macromolecule called epitopes ,or
antigenic determinants.Epitopes are the immunologically active regions of an immunogen that bind to antigen-specific membrane receptor on lymphocytes or to secreted antibodies.Studies with small antigens has revealed that B and T cells recognize different epitopes onthe same antigenic molecule.
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