Questions and Answers
What is the origin of B lymphocytes?
What is the function of the proteins on the surface of B cells?
What is another name for antibodies?
How many proteins are present on the surface of a B cell?
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What type of antibodies are present on the surface of B cells?
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What is unique about the membrane-bound antibodies on a B cell?
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What is the term for the organ where B cells originate, leading to the 'B' in B cells?
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How many separate proteins make up the membrane-bound antibody complex on a B cell?
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What is the main difference between the antibodies on the surface of one B cell and another B cell?
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Why do B cells have a lot of shuffling of the portion of their DNA that codes for the variable portions?
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What is the purpose of having so many different combinations of variable portions on B cells?
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What happens when a B cell binds to a foreign pathogen?
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What is an epitope?
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Why is it important for the immune system to have B cells with many different combinations of variable portions?
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What happens to the DNA of B cells during their development?
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What is the main advantage of having many different B cells with different variable portions?
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What is the purpose of the variable portion of an antibody?
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How many different combinations of variable portions are possible?
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What is one way that antibodies can make it harder for viruses to function?
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What is the purpose of the variable portion on each antibody?
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What is the result of antibodies binding to multiple viruses?
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Why are antibodies effective against a wide range of pathogens?
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What is the term for the process by which phagocytes recognize and engulf antibody-bound pathogens?
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What is a challenge that remains to be solved in the field of immunology?
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What happens to the B cells that respond to the body's own cells?
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What is the primary role of effector cells?
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What is the function of opsonization?
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What happens to the number of B cells with the perfect receptor after the initial response?
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Why do B cells need help from helper T cells to become activated?
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What is the role of memory cells?
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How many antibodies can an activated effector cell produce per second?
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What is the result of the humoral response?
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What is the purpose of the immune system's 'weeding out' process?
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What is the difference between the number of possible B cell combinations and the actual number of B cells?
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Study Notes
Humoral Response and B Lymphocytes (B Cells)
- B cells are a subset of white blood cells called lymphocytes that come from the bone marrow.
- Each B cell has approximately 10,000 proteins on its surface, known as membrane-bound antibodies or immunoglobulins.
- These membrane-bound antibodies are protein complexes with four separate proteins and have a variable part that can take on many different forms.
Diversity of B Cells and Antibodies
- Each B cell has a unique combination of membrane-bound antibodies with the same variable portion.
- There are approximately 10 billion different combinations of variable portions possible.
- The diversity of B cells arises from intentional reshuffling of the DNA that codes for the variable portions during B cell development.
Role of B Cells in Immune Response
- B cells can recognize and bind to specific pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, through their membrane-bound antibodies.
- When a B cell binds to a pathogen, it becomes activated and starts cloning itself, producing multiple versions of itself.
- Activated B cells can differentiate into two forms: memory cells and effector cells.
- Memory cells stick around for a long time, allowing for a faster response to future infections.
- Effector cells, also known as plasma cells, produce large quantities of antibodies that can bind to specific pathogens.
Antibodies and Immune Response
- Antibodies are proteins produced by effector cells that can bind to specific pathogens.
- Antibodies can tag pathogens for pickup by phagocytes, making it easier for them to be removed from the body (opsonization).
- Antibodies can also make it harder for pathogens to function and infiltrate cells.
- Each antibody has two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains, with a specific variable portion that can bond to epitopes on pathogens.
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Description
Learn about the humoral response, which involves B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. B cells have thousands of proteins on their surface and originate from the bone marrow.