Antibody teaching aid
OwnerWilliam P. Bakerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A teaching aid for use in facilitating the study and understanding of antibodies and antigens is disclosed. The teaching aid comprises models demonstrating how the variable regions of both the light and heavy chains of the antibody protein permit both the diversity and the selectivity of these biomolecules. Teaching methods utilizing the inventive teaching aid are also disclosed.
Claims7
A teaching aid to facilitate the teaching of students about antibodies and antigens, comprising an antibody model and an antigen model, wherein:
- the antibody model comprises i) a Y-shaped constant region having a stalk and two branches, wherein the two branches are comprised of a pair of heavy chain constant regions (HC), and a pair of light chain constant regions (LC);
- and ii) a plurality of pairs of variable region shapes, where the individual members of each pair of variable region shapes are mirror images of each other and are adapted to extendibly connect to the branches of the Y-shaped constant region to permit the formation of plurality of differently shaped binding regions;
- and
- the antigen model comprises an antigen shape having a peripheral binding site that corresponds to at least one of the plurality of differently shaped binding regions of the antibody model, so as to permit the antigen model and the antibody model to fit together in a manner representative of an antigen/antibody complex.
A method of teaching, comprising the use of a teaching aid, which comprises an antibody model and an antigen model, wherein:
- the antibody model comprises:
- i) a Y-shaped constant region having a stalk and two branches, wherein the two branches are comprised of a pair of heavy chain constant regions (HC), and a pair of light chain constant regions (LC);
- and
- ii) a plurality of pairs of variable region shapes, where the individual members of each pair of variable region shapes are mirror images of each other and are adapted to extendibly connect to the branches of the Y-shaped constant region to permit the formation of a plurality of differently shaped binding regions;
- and
- the antigen model comprises an antigen shape having a peripheral binding site that corresponds to a least one of the plurality of differently shaped binding regions of the antibody model, so as to permit the antigen model and the antibody model to fit together in a manner representative of an antigen/antibody complex;
- to teach students about antibodies and antigens.
The method of claim 6, wherein the teaching aid is the teaching aid of claim 10, and wherein the use of such teaching aid is in a hands-on classroom or laboratory exercise.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.