Question

Antibodies bind very tightly to their targets. What are these targets called?

A) Epitopes
B) Antigens
C) Immunogens
D) Haptens

Answer 1

Antibodies bind to specific regions on the surface of antigens, which are called epitopes. Each antigen can present multiple epitopes, allowing a diverse array of antibodies to recognize and bind to a single antigen.

Step-by-step explanation:

The targets that antibodies bind to are known as antigens. Specifically, antibodies recognize and interact with specific regions on antigens, which are called epitopes. Antigens can be entire entities such as viruses or bacteria, or smaller molecular structures on the surface of these pathogens. Antibodies have unique molecular structures that allow them to match precisely with the antigens they target. Each antigen has the potential to have multiple epitopes, and different antibodies can bind to these different epitopes, thus contributing to the specificity and diversity of the immune response.