OSMT (Ontario Society of Medical Technologists) Practice Exam

Monoclonal antibodies:

1. are multi-cloned antibodies

2. are produced by monocytes

3. are chemically produced

4. may be harvested from inoculated mice

The correct answer is: may be harvested from inoculated mice

Monoclonal antibodies are specific antibodies that are produced from a single clone of cells, which makes them identical and targeted to a specific antigen. The most common method for producing these antibodies involves immunizing an animal, typically a mouse, with a particular antigen. After the immune response, B-cells that produce the desired antibody are fused with myeloma (cancer) cells to create hybridomas. These hybridomas are then cultured and can produce large quantities of the monoclonal antibody. This process allows for the generation of antibodies that are homogeneous and highly specific. The choice indicating that monoclonal antibodies may be harvested from inoculated mice correctly identifies the source of the B-cells that are used to produce these antibodies. Mice are frequently used to generate monoclonal antibodies due to their manageable size, genetic background, and the robustness of their immune responses. The other options provided do not accurately describe the nature of monoclonal antibodies. The idea of being multi-cloned contradicts what monoclonal means; it refers specifically to a single clone. Being produced by monocytes is incorrect as monoclonal antibodies originate from B-cells, not monocytes. Finally, the term "chemically produced" does not fit, as monoc