Question

The method in which antibodies against a specific protein are conjugated with a fluorochrome and then used to determine the location within the cell of that specific protein is called ________.

A) immune surveillance
B) immunotherapy
C) polarization microscopy
D) immunofluorescence
E) differential interference contrast microscopy

Answer 1

The technique called immunofluorescence (option D) involves using fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies to locate specific proteins within a cell using fluorescence microscopy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The method in which antibodies against a specific protein are conjugated with a fluorochrome and then used to determine the location within the cell of that specific protein is called immunofluorescence. This technique uses fluorescence microscopy and antibody-specific fluorochromes to determine the presence of specific pathogens in a specimen.


There are two approaches to this technique: direct immunofluorescence assay (DFA) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). In DFA, specific antibodies that target, for example, the rabies virus, are stained with a fluorochrome. If the specimen contains the targeted pathogen, one can observe the antibodies binding to the pathogen under the fluorescent microscope, a process known as a primary antibody stain because the stained antibodies attach directly to the pathogen.