Posted by My STEAM project is about the five major classes of Antibodies or immunoglobulins called IgM, IgA, IgD, IgG, and IgE. Though they are found throughout the body’s secretions they produced by effector B cells and are secreted by Plasma cells. Though some Antibodies vary in size and structure they each have the minimum characteristics of antibody monomers (four protein chains bound by disulfide chains), the lightest of which forms the antigen binding site. The heavy monomers (high molecular weight) contain variable and constant regions, the constant region means that the amino acids are the same throughout the classes of Antibodies, the variable region is unique for every Antibody. Antigens bind at the ends of each Antibody structure at the variable regions where it forms a y-shape. The other end of the Antibody binds to B-cells, phagocytes, mast cells, or simply float free in the plasma depending on which Antibody it is.I couldn’t figure out how to post multiple pictures so please go to the link to view the paintings. –Antibodies in Waterco
Christiana’s objective for this project is explaining the five major classes of antibodies. She found the five classes include IgM, IgA, IgD, IgG, and IgE. Antibodies are produced by effector B cells that are secreted by plasma cells throughout the body. Antibodies can vary in size and structure as well as have minimum characteristics of antibody monomers. Monomers are four protein chains bound by disulfide chains and the heavy monomers contain variable (unique for every antibody) and constant regions (when amino acids are the same throughout all antibodies). At the end of each antibody is an antigen at the variable regions that form a y shape. The other end binds to b-cells, mast cells, phagocytes, or float freely in plasma. All this depends on what the antibody is.
Christiana showed what each class of antibodies looked like by painting a picture and labeling the structures. The first image represents antibody IgA, the second is IgM, the third is IgD, the fourth IgG, and the fifth is IgE. Each is labeled where the light (purple) and heavy (green) chains are, where the binding site are (blue), and where the disulfide chains are (red/orange). IgA and IgM have a joining chain that is colored pink as well and only IgA has a secretory protein in a different shade of blue. This project does a really good job at showing the differences of each antibody and what they look like as well as their function.