Final answer:
Polyclonal antibodies have problems as therapeutic agents due to their lack of specificity, potential for cross-reactivity, and possibility of false-positive and false-negative results in diagnostic tests. Monoclonal antibodies offer higher specificity and are produced by a single clone of B cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Polyclonal antibodies have some problems when used as therapeutic agents. One problem is that polyclonal antibodies are not specific because they are produced by different clones of B cells and react with various epitopes on the antigen. This can lead to cross-reactivity, where the antibodies bind to other antigens that share similar properties with the target antigen.
Another issue is the possibility of false-positive and false-negative results in diagnostic tests that use polyclonal antibodies. This occurs because polyclonal antibodies are an indirect means of determining the presence of a pathogen, which can sometimes lead to incorrect results.
Monoclonal antibodies, on the other hand, are identical and specific to a single epitope of the antigen, providing higher specificity and avoiding cross-reactivity. They are produced by a single clone of B cells and are typically used in cancer treatment.