Human Anatomy and Physiology : Help with Antigens, Antibodies, and MHCs

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Human Anatomy and Physiology

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Help With Antigens, Antibodies, And Mh Cs

Which of the following statements are true?

I. An Rh negative patient can receive Rh positive blood once without a reaction, but any subsequent exposure will result in agglutination

II. An Rh positive patient can receive Rh negative blood once without a reaction, but any subsequent exposure will result in agglutination

III. An Rh negative patient can receive Rh negative blood once without a reaction, but any subsequent exposure will result in agglutination

Possible Answers:

I, II and III

I only

III only

I and II

I and III

Correct answer:

I only

Explanation:

Rh negative people are not born with Rh antibodies. After exposure to Rh positive blood, the Rh negative patient will begin producing Rh antibodies. Any subsequent exposure will cause agglutination. This has applications in childbirth, if there mother is Rh negative, and the baby is Rh positive. It is possible for the baby's blood to come in contact with the mother's (especially during childbirth). Neither the baby nor the mother are at risk, however, if the mother has another baby that is Rh positive, the mother will have antibodies from when she first encountered Rh positive blood from the previous baby. This may cause harm to the second (and any subsequent) Rh positive babies.

Example Question #12 : Help With Antigens, Antibodies, And Mh Cs

Which of the following correctly lists the antibodies and antigens an person with A positive blood has?

Possible Answers:

Antibodies: B

Antigens: A, Rh

Antibodies: A, Rh

Antigens: B

Antibodies: A, Rh

Antigens: A, Rh

None of these

Antibodies: A, B, Rh

Antigens: A, Rh

Correct answer:

Antibodies: B

Antigens: A, Rh

Explanation:

Blood antigens are the protein markers on the surface of red blood cells. On an A positive red blood cell, there is the A marker (antigen) and the Rh marker (antigen). Antibodies are found in the blood plasma, and these bind to foreign antibodies to cause agglutination. People produce antibodies for the antigens they do not have (Rh antibodies are only made after exposure to Rh positive blood). An A positive person will express the B antibody.

Example Question #13 : Help With Antigens, Antibodies, And Mh Cs

Which of the following correctly lists the antibodies and antigens an person with AB positive blood has?

Possible Answers:

Antibodies: A, B

Antigens: A, B, Rh

Antibodies: none

Antigens: A, B, Rh

Antibodies: A, B, Rh

Antigens: none

Antibodies: B

Antigens: A, Rh

Antibodies: Rh

Antigens: A, B

Correct answer:

Antibodies: none

Antigens: A, B, Rh

Explanation:

Blood antigens are the proteins markers on the surface of a red blood cell. On an AB positive red blood cell, there is the A marker (antigen), the B marker (antigen) and the Rh marker (antigen). Antibodies are found in the blood plasma, and these bind to foreign antibodies to cause agglutination. People produce antibodies for the antigens they do not have (Rh antibodies are only made after exposure to Rh positive blood). An AB positive person will not have any antibodies, otherwise they would bind to their own red blood cells and cause agglutination.

Example Question #14 : Help With Antigens, Antibodies, And Mh Cs

Which of the following are true, assuming A, B, O blood type compatibility?

I. An Rh positive patient cannot receive blood from an Rh negative donor

II. An Rh negative patient cannot receive blood from an Rh positive donor

III. An Rh negative patient can only receive blood from an Rh negative donor

Possible Answers:

I, II, and III

III only

I only

II only

II and III

Correct answer:

II and III

Explanation:

We must first assume the two people are A, B, O compatible (ie., both patients are type A). An Rh negative person is negative because they lack the Rh antigen. An Rh positive person does not produce any Rh antibodies or else they would attack their own blood. Therefore, there is no antigen to attack and no antibodies to attack with, so agglutination will not occur.

Example Question #15 : Help With Antigens, Antibodies, And Mh Cs

The immune system has two components: innate (non-specific, which is internal to someone's system from birth) and adaptive (which responds to specific antigens and develops over time). Part of the adaptive system is the humoral system, which involves antibodies. How does the humoral antibody-mediated system work?

Possible Answers:

Blood delivers T-lymphocytes to the area, where they can fight intracellular pathogens

Internal defenses like inflammation and antimicrobial proteins exist within the body to fight antigens

The skin acts as a surface barrier to protect the body

Blood delivers antibodies and B-lympocytes to the area of injury, where they can fight extracellular pathogens

Correct answer:

Blood delivers antibodies and B-lympocytes to the area of injury, where they can fight extracellular pathogens

Explanation:

Skin is an innate external defense barrier and does not involve antibodies. Inflammation and antimicrobial proteins are innate internal defense mechanisms, and are not pathogen-specific. T-lymphocytes are adaptive cell-mediated defense mechanisms. The humoral system, though, is part of the adaptive immune system, which delivers antibodies through blood to fight antigens extracellularly.

Example Question #16 : Help With Antigens, Antibodies, And Mh Cs

Antibodies carry out which of the following functions?

Possible Answers:

Coats the antigen for destruction

Directly kills a host cell

Directly kills an invading cell

Releases cytokines

Correct answer:

Coats the antigen for destruction

Explanation:

Antibodies are part of humoral immunity. The humoral pathway protects against extracellular pathogens. Antibodies are produced and secreted by B lymphocytes (B cells). They recognize free antigens, initiate activation of other immune cells, and coat the antigen for destruction (which may or may not be cellular). 

Example Question #17 : Help With Antigens, Antibodies, And Mh Cs

A patient has AB positive blood. Which of the following blood types, if transfused, would cause agglutination?

Possible Answers:

AB negative

B negative

O negative

None of these

A positive

Correct answer:

None of these

Explanation:

An AB positive patient is known as a universal recipient because they can receive blood from any blood type. The recipient's antibodies are what will attack foreign antigens. Type AB positive patients produce no antibodies, because any antibody produced would attack their own antigens, causing agglutination. Because type AB patients patients do not produce antibodies, they cannot attack any antigens and they can receive any blood type.

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