BIOL 2117 CORE EXAM 2026 TEST QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔TCRs recognize epitopes made of which type of molecule?
Answers:
carbohydrates
lipopolysaccharide
nucleic acid
protein - ✔✔protein
✔✔On an antibody, where do phagocytic cells bind during antibody-mediated
opsonization?
Answers:
disulfide bond
Fab region
Fc region
variable region - ✔✔Fc region
✔✔Which vaccine would be most protective against diphtheria?
Answers:
conjugate
inactivated
live attenuated
toxoid - ✔✔toxoid
✔✔Who is credited for the discovery of the concept of a vaccine through his work with
cowpox and smallpox?
Answers:
Alexander Fleming
Edward Jenner
Joseph Lister
Louis Pasteur - ✔✔Edward Jenner
✔✔After antigen presentation and activation, antibodies are produced and secreted by
which cells?
Answers:
CD4 T cells
memory T cells
naïve B cells
plasma cells - ✔✔plasma cells
,✔✔Cytotoxic T cells are activated by which of the following?
Answers:
MHC class I
MHC class II
either MHC class I or class II
both MHC class I and class II presenting the same antigen - ✔✔MHC class I
✔✔T cells mature in which location?
Answers:
bone marrow
testes
thymus
thyroid - ✔✔thymus
✔✔Which class of antibody is the most abundant in serum?
Answers:
IgA
IgE
IgG
IgM - ✔✔IgG
✔✔When does an antibody test result in a false positive?
Answers:
An individual tests as though she does not have the antigen even though she does.
An individual tests as though she has the antigen even though she does not.
Antibodies bind to the antigen too strongly, causing an error in the testing protocol.
Variations in antibodies cause them to fail to bind to an antigen that is present. - ✔✔An
individual tests as though she has the antigen even though she does not.
✔✔Why is cross-matching needed before a blood transfusion?
Answers:
Cross-matching is a final check before transfusion that involves mixing the patientÕs
blood with a small sample of the blood to be transfused as an additional check.
Cross-matching is the first attempt to make sure the blood is compatible before more
thorough testing.
Cross-matching refers to checking the needed blood type and the blood type of the
patient before ordering blood for transfusion.
Cross-matching would be needed for planned surgery but is a quality control measure
not necessary in an emergency situation. - ✔✔Cross-matching is a final check before
transfusion that involves mixing the patientÕs blood with a small sample of the blood to
be transfused as an additional check.
, ✔✔A positive indirect ELISA test is sufficient to make an HIV diagnosis.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
✔✔Which of the following correctly describes the effect of a particular factor of a
precipitin reaction on the amount of precipitin formed?
Answers:
A 1:1 ratio of antibody to antigen yields the maximum amount of precipitate.
Monoclonal antibodies generally bind more and, therefore, produce more precipitate
than polyclonal antibodies.
The greater the affinity of the antibody for the antigen, the greater the amount of
precipitate.
The lack of a lattice increases precipitation compared with the presence of a lattice. -
✔✔The greater the affinity of the antibody for the antigen, the greater the amount of
precipitate.
✔✔A typical home pregnancy test is a lateral flow test that detects human chorionic
gonadotrophin in urine.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔CD8 cells can be detected in host tissue by using immunostaining.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔Double immunodiffusion is also known as which of the following?
Answers:
flocculation assay
Ouchterlony assay
precipitin ring test
radial immunodiffusion assay - ✔✔Ouchterlony assay
✔✔Test sensitivity is defined as which of the following?
Answers:
the probability that an individual will have a false-positive test result
the probability that an individual with an infection will test positive
the probability that an individual with an infection will test negative
the probability that a test will detect multiple antigens simultaneously - ✔✔the probability
that an individual with an infection will test positive
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔TCRs recognize epitopes made of which type of molecule?
Answers:
carbohydrates
lipopolysaccharide
nucleic acid
protein - ✔✔protein
✔✔On an antibody, where do phagocytic cells bind during antibody-mediated
opsonization?
Answers:
disulfide bond
Fab region
Fc region
variable region - ✔✔Fc region
✔✔Which vaccine would be most protective against diphtheria?
Answers:
conjugate
inactivated
live attenuated
toxoid - ✔✔toxoid
✔✔Who is credited for the discovery of the concept of a vaccine through his work with
cowpox and smallpox?
Answers:
Alexander Fleming
Edward Jenner
Joseph Lister
Louis Pasteur - ✔✔Edward Jenner
✔✔After antigen presentation and activation, antibodies are produced and secreted by
which cells?
Answers:
CD4 T cells
memory T cells
naïve B cells
plasma cells - ✔✔plasma cells
,✔✔Cytotoxic T cells are activated by which of the following?
Answers:
MHC class I
MHC class II
either MHC class I or class II
both MHC class I and class II presenting the same antigen - ✔✔MHC class I
✔✔T cells mature in which location?
Answers:
bone marrow
testes
thymus
thyroid - ✔✔thymus
✔✔Which class of antibody is the most abundant in serum?
Answers:
IgA
IgE
IgG
IgM - ✔✔IgG
✔✔When does an antibody test result in a false positive?
Answers:
An individual tests as though she does not have the antigen even though she does.
An individual tests as though she has the antigen even though she does not.
Antibodies bind to the antigen too strongly, causing an error in the testing protocol.
Variations in antibodies cause them to fail to bind to an antigen that is present. - ✔✔An
individual tests as though she has the antigen even though she does not.
✔✔Why is cross-matching needed before a blood transfusion?
Answers:
Cross-matching is a final check before transfusion that involves mixing the patientÕs
blood with a small sample of the blood to be transfused as an additional check.
Cross-matching is the first attempt to make sure the blood is compatible before more
thorough testing.
Cross-matching refers to checking the needed blood type and the blood type of the
patient before ordering blood for transfusion.
Cross-matching would be needed for planned surgery but is a quality control measure
not necessary in an emergency situation. - ✔✔Cross-matching is a final check before
transfusion that involves mixing the patientÕs blood with a small sample of the blood to
be transfused as an additional check.
, ✔✔A positive indirect ELISA test is sufficient to make an HIV diagnosis.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔false
✔✔Which of the following correctly describes the effect of a particular factor of a
precipitin reaction on the amount of precipitin formed?
Answers:
A 1:1 ratio of antibody to antigen yields the maximum amount of precipitate.
Monoclonal antibodies generally bind more and, therefore, produce more precipitate
than polyclonal antibodies.
The greater the affinity of the antibody for the antigen, the greater the amount of
precipitate.
The lack of a lattice increases precipitation compared with the presence of a lattice. -
✔✔The greater the affinity of the antibody for the antigen, the greater the amount of
precipitate.
✔✔A typical home pregnancy test is a lateral flow test that detects human chorionic
gonadotrophin in urine.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔CD8 cells can be detected in host tissue by using immunostaining.
Answers:
True
False - ✔✔true
✔✔Double immunodiffusion is also known as which of the following?
Answers:
flocculation assay
Ouchterlony assay
precipitin ring test
radial immunodiffusion assay - ✔✔Ouchterlony assay
✔✔Test sensitivity is defined as which of the following?
Answers:
the probability that an individual will have a false-positive test result
the probability that an individual with an infection will test positive
the probability that an individual with an infection will test negative
the probability that a test will detect multiple antigens simultaneously - ✔✔the probability
that an individual with an infection will test positive
