How Are Antibodies Made?
When exposed to antigens, all mammals generate an immune response and produce antibodies, proteins that recognize and bind tightly to the specific antigens. Each antibody recognizes only a single antigen. Animals such as goats, rabbits, and mice can be injected with an antigen and, after a period of time, their serum will contain antibodies that specifically recognize that antigen. If the antigen was a disease-causing agent, the antibodies can be used to develop diagnostic tests for the disease. In an immunoassay, the antibodies used to recognize antigens like disease agents are called primary antibodies. Secondary antibodies recognize and bind to primary antibodies in an immunoassay. They are prepared by injecting antibodies produced by one species of animal into another species. This works because the antibodies produced by different species are different enough from each other that they will provoke an immune response. For example, if you want a secondary antibody that will recogniz
