Online Microbiology and Biology Notes
Immunology Notes. Notes on Immunology. Online Immunology related notes. Immunology Notes for undergraduate and graduate students with diagrams.
Physiological barriers of immune system The simplest way to avoid infection is to prevent the microorganisms from gaining access to the body. Anatomical and physiological barriers together provide this crucial first line of defense against pathogens. Physiological barriers that contribute to the innate immunity are the body temperature, pH and various soluble secretory products of the mucosa. A. Body temperature …
Complement Components Complement refers to a set of serum proteins that cooperates with both the innate and the adaptive immune systems to eliminate blood and tissue pathogens. Complement components can be classified into seven functional categories: Initiator complement components: These proteins initiate their respective complement cascades by binding to particular soluble or membrane-bound molecules. Once bound to their activating ligand, …
Complement- Properties and Nomenclature Complement refers to a set of serum proteins that cooperates with both the innate and the adaptive immune systems to eliminate blood and tissue pathogens. Various complement components bind and opsonize bacteria, rendering them susceptible to receptor-mediated phagocytosis by macrophages, which express membrane receptors for complement proteins. Other complement proteins elicit inflammatory responses, interface with components …
Latex Agglutination Test When a particulate or insoluble antigen is mixed with its antibody in the presence of electrolytes at a suitable temperature and pH, the particles are clumped or agglutinated. Agglutination reactions are classified as direct, indirect (passive) and reverse passive agglutination reactions. Direct Agglutination Test refers to the assays in which the antigen directly agglutinates with the antibody. Indirect …
Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) like the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test is a screening test for syphilis which is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum. It is a rapid non-treponemal test that looks for non-specific antibodies in the blood of the patient that may indicate a syphilis infection. The test does not look for antibodies against the causative bacterium itself but …
Coomb’s Test- Direct and Indirect Coomb’s Test Coomb’s test is a direct agglutination reaction, more commonly known as antiglobulin test. It was discovered by Coombs, Mourant and Race in 1945 originally for the detection of incomplete anti-Rh antibodies. In the test, incomplete antibodies do not agglutinate erythrocytes. Incomplete antibody antiglobulin coats the surface of erythrocytes but does not cause any …
The Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test (VDRL) is a screening test for sexually transmitted infection – syphilis caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum. It is a non-treponemal test, which detects antibodies IgM and IgG antibodies to lipoidal material released from damaged host cells as well as to lipoprotein-like material, and possibly cardiolipin released from the treponemes. These antibodies are traditionally referred to as ‘reagins’. …
Rocket Immunoelectrophoresis is an adaptation of radial immunodiffusion developed by Laurell. It is also known as electroimmunoassay or electroimmunodiffusion. It is called as “rocket electrophoresis” due to the appearance of the precipitin bands in the shape of cone-like structures (rocket appearance) at the end of the reaction. In rocket immunoelectrophoresis, antigen migrates in an electric field in a layer of agarose …
Immunoelectrophoresis refers to precipitation in agar under an electric field. It is a process of a combination of immuno-diffusion and electrophoresis. An antigen mixture is first separated into its component parts by electrophoresis and then tested by double immuno-diffusion. Antigens are placed into wells cut in a gel (without antibody) and electrophoresed. A trough is then cut in the gel …
Immuno-diffusion is a technique for the detection or measurement of antibodies and antigens by their precipitation which involves diffusion through a substance such as agar or gel agarose. Simply, it denotes precipitation in gel. It refers to any of the several techniques for obtaining a precipitate between an antibody and its specific antigen. This can be achieved by: a) Suspending …