Antibody

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/antibody

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the mechanism of diversity generation?Somatic V(D)J recombination and somatic hypermutation
2. What is the therapeutic modalities?Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies
3. What is an antibody and what does it look like?An antibody is a Y‑shaped protein made of two heavy chains and two light chains. The arms of the Y have special parts that grab germs, while the stem tells other immune cells what to do.
4. How do antibodies become so many different kinds?During B cell development, tiny pieces of DNA called V, D, and J segments are rearranged. This creates billions of unique binding spots so the body can recognize almost any germ.

Immunoglobulin (Ig): The biochemical term for antibodies, a class of proteins produced by plasma cells.
Antigen-Binding Site (Paratope): The specific region on an antibody that recognizes and binds to an antigen.
Fc Receptor: Receptors on immune cells that bind to the constant (Fc) region of antibodies, mediating effector functions.