Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

Antigen receptors are essential components of the immune system crucial in defending the body against foreign invaders. These receptors are present on the surface of B and T cells, enabling them to recognize antigens and mount an appropriate immune response.
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...

Antibody Structure and Classes

Antibody Structure and Classes

Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are produced by B cells in response to foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses. These proteins are critical for recognizing and neutralizing these substances, protecting the body from potential harm.
The basic structure of an antibody consists of four protein chains: two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains. These chains are held together by disulfide bonds and other non-covalent interactions, forming a Y-shaped structure.

Antibody Structure

Antibody Structure

Overview
Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins (Ig), are essential players of the adaptive immune system. These antigen-binding proteins are produced by B cells and make up 20 percent of the total blood plasma by weight. In mammals, antibodies fall into five different classes, which each elicits a different biological response upon antigen binding.
The Y-Shaped Structure of Antibodies Consists of Four Polypeptide Chains
Antibodies consist of four polypeptide chains: two identical heavy...

Affinity and Avidity

Affinity and Avidity

Cross-reactivity

Cross-reactivity

Humoral Immune Responses

Humoral Immune Responses

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Viruses, vaccines and cardiovascular effects.

The British journal of cardiology·2022

Same author

Current strategies for detecting functional convergence across B-cell receptor repertoires.

mAbs·2021

Same author

Extracting human antibody sequences from public databases for antibody humanization: high frequency of species assignment errors.

Protein engineering, design & selection : PEDS·2016

Same author

Germline humanization of a non-human primate antibody that neutralizes the anthrax toxin, by in vitro and in silico engineering.

Journal of molecular biology·2008

Same author

Improved brain uptake and pharmacological activity profile of morphine-6-glucuronide using a peptide vector-mediated strategy.

The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics·2005

Same author

2-Pyrrolinodoxorubicin and its peptide-vectorized form bypass multidrug resistance.

Anti-cancer drugs·2004

Same journal

Discovery and optimization of a pH-responsive ultra-long-acting VHH-based growth hormone mimetic.

mAbs·2026

Same journal

Efficient inference of non-polyreactive antibody variants dependent on local fine-tuning.

mAbs·2026

Same journal

Impact of ASO conjugation and receptor binding affinity on intracellular transport of mono- and bispecific TfR- and CD98-Brainshuttle<sup>TM</sup> variants.

mAbs·2026

Same journal

Development of single-chain C1q affinity chromatography-mass spectrometry for the glycoform-resolved characterization of low-affinity immunoglobulin G interactions.

mAbs·2026

Same journal

Biparatopic targeting of IL-23 enables dual-epitope engagement and enhanced neutralization potency.

mAbs·2026

Same journal

Comparison of knockdown approaches for the generation of stable cell populations expressing afucosylated antibodies.

mAbs·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Identification of Mouse and Human Antibody Repertoires by Next-Generation Sequencing

Identification of Mouse and Human Antibody Repertoires by Next-Generation Sequencing

Published on: March 15, 2019

Understanding the human antibody repertoire.

Anthony R Rees¹

¹Rees Consulting AB, Uppsala, Sweden.

|February 26, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The human antibody repertoire

Keywords:

Antibody repertoire adaptive immunity infinite repertoire theorem naïve repertoire variable region assembly

More Related Videos

T and B Cell Receptor Immune Repertoire Analysis using Next-generation Sequencing

T and B Cell Receptor Immune Repertoire Analysis using Next-generation Sequencing

Published on: January 12, 2021

Printed Glycan Array: A Sensitive Technique for the Analysis of the Repertoire of Circulating Anti-carbohydrate Antibodies in Small Animals

Printed Glycan Array: A Sensitive Technique for the Analysis of the Repertoire of Circulating Anti-carbohydrate Antibodies in Small Animals

Published on: February 14, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 27, 2025

Identification of Mouse and Human Antibody Repertoires by Next-Generation Sequencing

Identification of Mouse and Human Antibody Repertoires by Next-Generation Sequencing

Published on: March 15, 2019

T and B Cell Receptor Immune Repertoire Analysis using Next-generation Sequencing

T and B Cell Receptor Immune Repertoire Analysis using Next-generation Sequencing

Published on: January 12, 2021

Printed Glycan Array: A Sensitive Technique for the Analysis of the Repertoire of Circulating Anti-carbohydrate Antibodies in Small Animals

Printed Glycan Array: A Sensitive Technique for the Analysis of the Repertoire of Circulating Anti-carbohydrate Antibodies in Small Animals

Published on: February 14, 2019

Area of Science:

Immunology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

The origins and size of the human antibody repertoire are debated.
Uncertainty exists regarding whether antibody elements evolved for defense or were repurposed.
Estimates range from 10 million to over a thousand trillion potential antibody members.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the evolutionary aspects of the adaptive immune system.
To evaluate calculations and experimental evidence regarding antibody repertoire size.
To propose a reconciliation for the discrepancy in repertoire size estimates.

Main Methods:

Literature review of evolutionary immunology.
Analysis of theoretical calculations for repertoire size.
Examination of experimental data on repertoire variation.
Presentation of a theoretical model supporting a restricted repertoire.

Main Results:

The origins of antibody repertoire elements remain uncertain.
Significant debate exists regarding the actual size of the naive antibody repertoire.
Experimental evidence suggests a more restricted repertoire than theoretical models indicate.
Convergent structural and specificity features may drive repertoire variation.

Conclusions:

The vast difference in antibody repertoire size estimates presents a significant challenge.
Reconciling theoretical and experimental findings is crucial for understanding immune function.
A proposed solution may help resolve the anomaly in repertoire size estimations.