VMC 221: Veterinary Immunology and Serology (1+1)

INTRODUCTION

• Antigen is a substance which when introduced into the tissues of a susceptible animal, it stimulates the formation of specific neutralizing substances or antibody with which it reacts specifically in some observable way or produced lymphokines or both antibody and lymphokines.
• The ability of a material to induce an immune response is referred to as immunogenicity and such material is called as immunogen.
• Immunogenicity is the ability to induce a humoral and/cell mediated immune response.
• Antigenicity is the ability of a molecule to be recognized by an antibody or lymphocyte.
• All molecules possessing the property of immunogenicity also possess antigenicity but the reverse is not true.
• Molecules vary in their ability to act as antigens and stimulate immune response.