Final answer:
Avidity is the overall strength of binding at multiple sites, typical in multimeric antibodies like IgM. It reflects the cumulative strength of multiple antibody-antigen interactions and is affected by various factors including the number of binding sites. correct answer is option A.
Step-by-step explanation:
The strength of binding at multiple sites is known as avidity. Unlike affinity, which describes the strength of a single antibody-antigen interaction, avidity reflects the cumulative strength of multiple such interactions. While the affinity of individual binding sites in a multimeric antibody may be lower compared to a monomeric antibody, the overall avidity is typically higher in multimeric antibodies, such as IgM, because they can bind to many antigens simultaneously. This multivalent binding compensates for the lower affinity per site, resulting in a strong overall attachment.
Avidity is influenced by the number of binding sites and other physical and chemical factors related to the antibody and the antigen.Avidity is the overall strength of binding at multiple sites, typical in multimeric antibodies like IgM. It reflects the cumulative strength of multiple antibody-antigen interactions and is affected by various factors including the number of binding sites.