Question 1: Monoclonal antibodies are produced by identical immune cells that are clones of a single parent cell. They are generated using a method called hybridoma technology, where a specific type of immune cell is fused with a cancer cell to produce large quantities of a specific antibody.

Answer: Monoclonal antibodies are identical antibodies produced from a single clone of cells, generated using hybridoma technology.

Question 2: Explain why hybridoma cells are used in the production of monoclonal antibodies.

Answer: Because hybridoma cells can produce large amounts of a specific antibody indefinitely, combining the ability of immune cells to produce the antibody with the cancer cells’ ability to divide endlessly.

Question 1: A hybridoma culture produces 250 mg of monoclonal antibody in 24 hours. Calculate the rate of antibody production in mg per hour.

Answer: 10.42 mg/hour

Question 2: If a researcher needs 500 µg of monoclonal antibody for an experiment, how many millilitres of a solution with a concentration of 2 mg/mL are required?

Answer: 0.25 mL

Question 1: Describe the key steps involved in producing monoclonal antibodies using hybridoma technology.

Answer: The process involves immunising an animal to produce specific lymphocytes, fusing these lymphocytes with myeloma (cancer) cells to create hybridoma cells, selecting hybridomas that produce the desired antibody, and then culturing these cells to produce large quantities of monoclonal antibodies.

Question 2: Identify two variables that must be controlled during the culturing of hybridoma cells and explain why.

Answer: Temperature and pH; because they affect cell growth and antibody production efficiency.

Question 3: What safety precautions should be considered when handling hybridoma cultures in the laboratory?

Answer: Wearing protective gloves and lab coat, working in a sterile environment, and properly disposing of waste to prevent contamination and exposure.

Question 1: A biotech company produces 2 grams of monoclonal antibody every week from a culture of hybridoma cells. If the culture volume is 500 mL, calculate the concentration of antibody in mg/mL.

Answer: 4 mg/mL

Question 2: Explain how monoclonal antibodies are used in medical treatments and diagnostics.

Answer: Monoclonal antibodies are used to specifically target pathogens or cancer cells, enabling targeted drug delivery, diagnostic tests like pregnancy tests and cancer markers, and as therapies to block disease processes.