Brainlag PlusHow hybridoma cells make one antibody in bulk, and how monoclonal antibodies are used in tests and treatment.
Making them
Monoclonal antibodies are identical antibodies, all made by a clone of one cell, so they all bind to one antigen.
- inject a mouse with the antigen
- take lymphocytes that make the matching antibody
- fuse them with tumour cells to make hybridoma cells: the lymphocyte gives the antibody, the tumour cell the fast division
- clone a single hybridoma cell, then collect and purify the antibody
- One hybridoma cell divides every 24 hours for 10 days
- 10 × 24 ÷ 24 = 10 divisions
- 1 × 2¹⁰ = 1024 = 1.02 × 10³ cells
The rest of this lesson and its 11 practice questions are in Plus.
Screen 1 of 3, free to read.
- 11 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards