An antibody binds only to the antigen that stimulated its production because

  • A. all antibody molecules are identical
  • B. antigens destroy competing antibodies
  • C. the blood filters out mismatched antibodies
  • D. the shape of its binding site matches a specific epitope of that antigen

Explanation

Antibody arms carry binding sites shaped for one epitope, like a lock for one key, which is why each clone makes only one specificity. Uniform antibodies would make targeted immunity impossible.

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