Question

What function does the diversity of the variable region of an antibody help it perform?

a) Recognizing specific antigens.
b) Initiating inflammation.
c) Suppressing immune responses.
d) Enhancing phagocytosis.

Answer 1

The diversity of the variable region of an antibody helps it recognize specific antigens, enabling the immune system to identify and neutralize a wide range of pathogens efficiently.

Step-by-step explanation:

The diversity of the variable region of an antibody allows it to perform the function of recognizing specific antigens. Antibodies have a unique structure where the variable regions are the sites of antigen binding. These regions contain distinct patterns of amino acids that determine the specificity of the antibody to bind to complementary antigens. The human genome may have a limited number of genes, but thanks to the combinatorial diversity of these variable regions, it can produce over 1012 different antibody molecules. This vast repertoire of antibodies enables the immune system to efficiently identify and neutralize a wide range of pathogens.