ELISA
ELISA - an acronym for Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay.
The ELISA assay is a widely used biochemical assay to detect in a
sample the presence of and quantity of proteins, such as hormones and
antibodies and bacteria or viruses.
The ELISA assay uses the coupling of antigens and antibodies and
relies on the specificity and affinity of antibodies for antigens.
Specificity is the ability to discriminate among diverse proteins. Affinity
is the ability to tightly bind to molecules.
One can determine how much antibody is present by starting with an
antigen, or one can determine how much antigen or hormone is present
by starting with an antibody.
, What Are Antigens?
Antigens are any foreign substance in the body.
Antigens include “not-self” molecules and cells, such as:
a. foreign proteins
b. viruses
c. environmental pollutants and other foreign
substances like asbestos, tattoo ink, and
cigarette smoke
d. bacteria and parasites (Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and
Animalia cells)
e. foreign transplanted tissue
f. cancerous cells
ELISA - an acronym for Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay.
The ELISA assay is a widely used biochemical assay to detect in a
sample the presence of and quantity of proteins, such as hormones and
antibodies and bacteria or viruses.
The ELISA assay uses the coupling of antigens and antibodies and
relies on the specificity and affinity of antibodies for antigens.
Specificity is the ability to discriminate among diverse proteins. Affinity
is the ability to tightly bind to molecules.
One can determine how much antibody is present by starting with an
antigen, or one can determine how much antigen or hormone is present
by starting with an antibody.
, What Are Antigens?
Antigens are any foreign substance in the body.
Antigens include “not-self” molecules and cells, such as:
a. foreign proteins
b. viruses
c. environmental pollutants and other foreign
substances like asbestos, tattoo ink, and
cigarette smoke
d. bacteria and parasites (Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and
Animalia cells)
e. foreign transplanted tissue
f. cancerous cells
