Question

What is the term for the process by which a given B cell or plasma cell expresses a single maternal or paternal allele of a chromosome pair?

a) Allelic exclusion.
b) Isotype switching.
c) Junctional diversity.
d) Random V(D)J joining.
e) Somatic hypermutation.

Answer 1

The term for the process by which a given B cell or plasma cell expresses a single maternal or paternal allele of a chromosome pair is allelic exclusion. This process ensures that each B cell or plasma cell produces only one type of antibody, allowing for a diverse antibody repertoire in the immune system.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term for the process by which a given B cell or plasma cell expresses a single maternal or paternal allele of a chromosome pair is allelic exclusion. During this process, only one allele of a gene is active while the other allele is silenced. This ensures that each B cell or plasma cell produces only one type of antibody.

For example, let's consider a B cell that has two different alleles for a specific gene. Through allelic exclusion, only one of these alleles will be expressed, resulting in the production of a single type of antibody specific to a particular antigen.

Allelic exclusion is crucial for the immune system to generate diverse antibody repertoires and ensure effective immune responses against a wide range of pathogens.