Final answer:
Antibodies produced by a plasma cell from a single B cell that bind to the same antigen are called monoclonal antibodies. They offer specificity by binding to a single epitope, unlike polyclonal antibodies which are derived from multiple B cells and bind to various epitopes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Antibodies produced by a plasma cell derived from a single B cell, binding exactly to the same antigen, are called monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are identical and specifically bind to a single epitope of an antigen, and they are produced by a single clone of B-cells. In contrast, polyclonal antiserum includes heterogeneous antibodies that bind to multiple epitopes on the same antigen, leading to variable responses.
The production of monoclonal antibodies involves the hybridoma technique, which generates cells that produce high-affinity antibodies specific to one epitope. Producing monoclonal antibodies results in a more consistent and specific response than polyclonal antibodies, which are generated by multiple B-cell clones and can bind to different epitopes. Therefore, monoclonal antibodies offer a higher degree of specificity for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, reducing batch-to-batch variability inherent to polyclonal antibodies.