In Spite of Their Low Affinity for Binding to Their

question 31

Multiple Choice

In spite of their low affinity for binding to their antigen, IgM antibodies can be quite effective at promoting the elimination of extracellular bacterial infections. This is due to:

• A) The ability of IgM antibodies to traffic across epithelial surfaces
• B) Multivalent binding of IgM pentamers to repetitive epitopes on bacterial surfaces
• C) The high concentration of IgM antibodies in the serum and in all tissues
• D) The early production of IgM antibodies during an immune response
• E) The high rate of somatic hypermutation in the genes encoding IgM antibodies

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Definitions:

Sex

Biological and physiological characteristics that define humans as male or female.

Alarm Reaction

The initial response of the body's stress system, activating the fight or flight response to perceive threats.

General Adaptation Syndrome

A three-stage response (alarm, resistance, exhaustion) that the body has to long-term exposure to stress, proposed by Hans Selye.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

A psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, characterized by severe anxiety, flashbacks, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event.