Question 1: Explain in your own words what monoclonal antibodies are and how they are made.

Answer: Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies produced by identical immune cells cloned from a single parent cell, designed to target specific antigens.

Question 2: Name one medical condition where monoclonal antibodies are used for treatment.

Answer: Cancer (e.g., for targeted therapy in certain types of lymphoma or breast cancer).

Question 1: Describe how monoclonal antibodies can be used in medical diagnostics.

Answer: They are attached to a detectable marker and bind to specific antigens in samples, allowing identification of diseases or pathogens.

Question 2: What is the main advantage of using monoclonal antibodies in targeted cancer therapy?

Answer: They specifically target cancer cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue.

Question 1: A patient requires a dose of 10 mg per kg of body weight. If the patient weighs 70 kg, what is the total dose needed?

Answer: 700 mg

Question 2: If a vial contains 500 mg of monoclonal antibodies, how many vials are needed for the patient in the previous question?

Answer: 2 vials

Question 1: Identify at least three variables you would control in this experiment and explain why.

Answer: Variables to control include temperature (to prevent denaturation), pH (to ensure antibody stability), and antibody concentration (to ensure consistent detection).

Question 2: List two safety precautions that should be followed when handling monoclonal antibodies in the laboratory.

Answer: Wearing gloves and lab coats; avoiding ingestion or inhalation of the antibodies.

Question 1: In an experiment, samples tested with monoclonal antibodies showed a positive reaction in 95% of infected samples and 5% false positives in uninfected samples. What does this suggest about the test’s reliability?

Answer: It indicates the test is highly reliable with high sensitivity and specificity, but there is a small chance of false positives.

Question 1: Explain how monoclonal antibodies are used to target cancer cells specifically, and discuss one advantage and one limitation of this approach.

Answer: Monoclonal antibodies are designed to bind specifically to antigens on cancer cells, delivering drugs or marking them for destruction by the immune system. An advantage is their targeted action reducing damage to healthy tissue; a limitation is that some cancer cells may mutate, changing the antigen and evading the antibodies.

Question 1: Describe how monoclonal antibodies are used in pregnancy tests and explain why they are effective.

Answer: They detect hCG hormone in urine by binding specifically to it, producing a visible line. Their high specificity makes them effective for accurate pregnancy detection.