BIOL 2900 Lecture Notes - Lassa Fever, Botany, Cell Membrane
8 Mar 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
The active (virulent) portion is attatched to the binding portion which can attach to the cell surface allowing the active portion to enter the cell. The goal here is to prevent the binding protion from attaching to the surface of the cell wall. You can do this by having antibodies (ab) attack the binding site leaving the active part without function. Through chemical modification, the active portion of the toxin becomes inactive. The binding portion of this toxin is unaffected. The toxoid is used in vaccines (ie: tetanus and diptheria) where a live agent is not possible. The antibodies can then recognize the binding site of the toxin (after exposure to the toxoid) and will be able to fight the virus. Toxoids: diphtheria: inactivated toxin (toxoid) - does not cause major damage; needs a viral infection of the bacterial cells in order to cause serious damage. Bacteriophage - virus; places its own viral dna into the bacteria.
