Followers

Welcome

Powered by Blogger.

About

Trying to provide all necessary information about IMMUNITY and IMMUNE SYSTEM

Epitopes

Posted by Mumtaz khan Sunday 18 September 2011

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.

0 comments

Post a Comment