What are factors affecting antigenicity?

Answer 1

mention factors affecting antigenicity 1) molecular weight of antigen. e.g. protein is a good antigen as compare to lipid or nucleic acid. 2) invecivness of antigen, that is due to toxins or chemicals secreted by the antigen 3) degredibility: antigen should be degreted in body so that body immune system can react against them. 4) complexicity of antigen

Answer 2

Though in modern times both antigens and immunogens are being interchangably, there is a slight difference between the two. Immunogen is a substance which is capable of inducing an immune response wheras antigen invokes an immune response and also is capable of binding with the products of the immune response.. Now for a substance to act as a good antigen it should have a molecular size of atleast 10 Kb . more foregin it is , more quick is the response( phylogentic similarity), also for a good antigen it must have a more coplex structure. some antibodies bind to linear epitopes whereas most of them bind when the antigens are in their 3-D form and fail to recognise the epitopes when they are linearized.

Answer 3

1. Binding or equilibrium constant which is the "degree of fit" between the antigen and antibody
2. Antigen density
3. Antigen-antibody ratio
4. Temperature
5. Ionic strength
6. Incubation time
7. pH