Monoclonal antibody

Pronunciation
/mon-oh-KLŌ-nəl an- TIB-uh-body/
Category
Immunology
Singular
Monoclonal antibody
Plural
Monoclonal antibodies

Definition

A type of antibody that recognizes a single specific antigen, produced by a single clone of B cells.

Etymology

From Greek 'monos', meaning 'single', and 'clonal', referring to a genetically uniform population of cells.

Example

Monoclonal antibodies are used in research and therapy to target specific antigens on cancer cells.

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