ANTIGENS AND IMMUNOGENS

ANTIGENS AND IMMUNOGENS • An immune response is the result of exposure of the body to foreign agents. These foreign agents can be called an antigen or immunogen. • Antigens – An antigen is an agent capable of binding specifically to components of the immune response such as lymphocytes and antibodies. • Immunogen-It is any agent capable of inducing an immune response. So all antigens immunogens are antigens but not all antigens are immunogens. • Antigenesity; This is the ability to bind with antibodies or cells of the immune system • Immunogenicity- The capacity to induce an immune response. ANTIGENESITY Antigenic determinants or epitopes • When an antigen and antibody bind, the antibody will not bind with the whole antigen. It will fit on a specific region of the antigen. The smallest unit of an antigen that is capable of binding with antibody is called an epitope. Antigenic determinants • These are the different binding places on the antigen. The antigen can be uni-determinant (only one determinant or one epitope) or Multi determinant (More than one epitope). Uni- determinant/Only one epitope Kind Multi determinant/More than one Kind of epitope UNIVALENT VS MULTIVALENT ANTIGENS  Univalent antigens have only one determinant of a certai