Final answer:
The statement suggesting that all antigens are immunogens because they can elicit an immune response is false. Not every antigen will provoke an immune response, and the ability to do so depends on several factors including the antigen's molecular characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'All antigens are capable of generating an immune response, therefore all antigens are immunogens' is false. While it is true that antigens are substances that can be recognized by the immune system, not all antigens will provoke an immune response. The ability of an antigen to stimulate an immune response, making it an immunogen, depends on various factors like molecular class, complexity, and size.
An immunogen is an antigen that is able to elicit an adaptive immune response. There are cases where an antigen may not be immunogenic; for example, if it is too small or the body recognises it as self. Furthermore, the body's ability to have a specific immune response is not innate from birth against any pathogen; it develops over time through exposure to different pathogens. Similarly, vaccines often use only parts of a pathogen to stimulate an immune response.
A deeper understanding of antigens and immunogens is also critical when considering conditions like allergies and autoimmune diseases, which are indeed a result of an over-reactive immune system. Moreover, the incredible diversity of the human immune system is highlighted by the fact that our bodies are capable of producing a vast array of different antibody molecules, far exceeding the number of our genes, thanks to the genetic mechanism that allows a diversity of the variable region on antibodies.