OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank
Chapter 20: Laboratory Analysis of the Immune Response
Chapter 20: Laboratory Analysis of the Immune Response
* = Correct answer
Multiple Choice
1. Most antigens have how many epitopes?
A. none
B. one
C. two
D. more than two*
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: N/A
2. Which best describes monoclonal antibodies?
A. They are produced in living animals only.
B. They are produced in tissue cultures, using B cells extracted from living animals.*
C. They are rarely used, so polyclonal antibodies are preferred.
D. They can be produced in either living animals or tissue cultures.
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: N/A
3. A hybridoma is which of the following?
A. a cancerous cell
B. a fusion of a B cell and a T cell
C. a fusion of a normal B cell and a myeloma cell*
D. a hybrid of two cancerous cells
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: N/A
4. Which is the correct term for a visible antigen-antibody complex?
A. epitope
B. heavy chain complex
C. hybridoma
D. precipitin*
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: N/A
5. Monoclonal antibodies bind to which of the following?
A. a single epitope*
B. a single hybridoma
C. multiple epitopes
Page 1 of 18
,OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank
Chapter 20: Laboratory Analysis of the Immune Response
D. variable numbers of epitopes
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: N/A
6. Double immunodiffusion is also known as which of the following?
A. flocculation assay
B. Ouchterlony assay*
C. precipitin ring test
D. radial immunodiffusion assay
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
7. Which technique is used to help view tissues, using microscopy?
A. electrophoresis
B. immunostaining*
C. lateral flow assays
D. western blotting
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 32
8. Which technique could be used to rapidly diagnose strep throat or mycoplasma pneumonia
by labeling bacteria with fluorescent monoclonal antibodies?
A. brightfield microscopy and ELISA techniques
B. fluorescence microscopy and direct fluorescent antibody techniques*
C. immunohistochemistry and immunostaining techniques in varying combinations
D. western blotting with chromogens or fluorogens
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 32
9. Which of the following describes antiserum?
A. a type of vaccine produced in the laboratory
B. antibodies obtained by exposing blood to an antigen in the lab
C. monoclonal antibodies obtained from the blood of an animal injected with an antigen
D. whole serum containing antibodies obtained from an animal exposed to an antigen*
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
10. When does an antibody test result in a false positive?
A. An individual tests as though she does not have the antigen even though she does.
B. An individual tests as though she has the antigen even though she does not.*
C. Antibodies bind to the antigen too strongly, causing an error in the testing protocol.
Page 2 of 18
, OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank
Chapter 20: Laboratory Analysis of the Immune Response
D. Variations in antibodies cause them to fail to bind to an antigen that is present.
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
11. Test sensitivity is defined as which of the following?
A. the probability that an individual will have a false-positive test result
B. the probability that an individual with an infection will test positive*
C. the probability that an individual with an infection will test negative
D. the probability that a test will detect multiple antigens simultaneously
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
12. Which of the following most commonly results from exposure to a single antigen?
A. A single antibody is produced that can respond to multiple antigens.
B. A single antibody is produced that is specific to that antigen.
C. Multiple antibodies are produced because antigens usually have multiple epitopes.
D. Multiple antibodies are produced to respond to a single epitope.*
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
13. When a particular test rarely produces false negatives, it has which of the following?
A. high sensitivity*
B. high specificity
C. low sensitivity
D. low utility
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
14. Compared with the production of polyclonal antibodies, the production of monoclonal
antibodies is which of the following?
A. completed without hybridomas
B. easier and faster
C. less expensive
D. more expensive*
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
15. Which type of antibody is preferable for western blot tests and why?
A. monoclonal antibodies, because they are more sensitive and produce a clearer signal
B. monoclonal antibodies, because they are more specific and less expensive
Page 3 of 18
Chapter 20: Laboratory Analysis of the Immune Response
Chapter 20: Laboratory Analysis of the Immune Response
* = Correct answer
Multiple Choice
1. Most antigens have how many epitopes?
A. none
B. one
C. two
D. more than two*
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: N/A
2. Which best describes monoclonal antibodies?
A. They are produced in living animals only.
B. They are produced in tissue cultures, using B cells extracted from living animals.*
C. They are rarely used, so polyclonal antibodies are preferred.
D. They can be produced in either living animals or tissue cultures.
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: N/A
3. A hybridoma is which of the following?
A. a cancerous cell
B. a fusion of a B cell and a T cell
C. a fusion of a normal B cell and a myeloma cell*
D. a hybrid of two cancerous cells
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: N/A
4. Which is the correct term for a visible antigen-antibody complex?
A. epitope
B. heavy chain complex
C. hybridoma
D. precipitin*
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: N/A
5. Monoclonal antibodies bind to which of the following?
A. a single epitope*
B. a single hybridoma
C. multiple epitopes
Page 1 of 18
,OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank
Chapter 20: Laboratory Analysis of the Immune Response
D. variable numbers of epitopes
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: N/A
6. Double immunodiffusion is also known as which of the following?
A. flocculation assay
B. Ouchterlony assay*
C. precipitin ring test
D. radial immunodiffusion assay
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
7. Which technique is used to help view tissues, using microscopy?
A. electrophoresis
B. immunostaining*
C. lateral flow assays
D. western blotting
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 32
8. Which technique could be used to rapidly diagnose strep throat or mycoplasma pneumonia
by labeling bacteria with fluorescent monoclonal antibodies?
A. brightfield microscopy and ELISA techniques
B. fluorescence microscopy and direct fluorescent antibody techniques*
C. immunohistochemistry and immunostaining techniques in varying combinations
D. western blotting with chromogens or fluorogens
Difficulty: Easy
ASM Standard: 32
9. Which of the following describes antiserum?
A. a type of vaccine produced in the laboratory
B. antibodies obtained by exposing blood to an antigen in the lab
C. monoclonal antibodies obtained from the blood of an animal injected with an antigen
D. whole serum containing antibodies obtained from an animal exposed to an antigen*
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
10. When does an antibody test result in a false positive?
A. An individual tests as though she does not have the antigen even though she does.
B. An individual tests as though she has the antigen even though she does not.*
C. Antibodies bind to the antigen too strongly, causing an error in the testing protocol.
Page 2 of 18
, OpenStax Microbiology Test Bank
Chapter 20: Laboratory Analysis of the Immune Response
D. Variations in antibodies cause them to fail to bind to an antigen that is present.
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
11. Test sensitivity is defined as which of the following?
A. the probability that an individual will have a false-positive test result
B. the probability that an individual with an infection will test positive*
C. the probability that an individual with an infection will test negative
D. the probability that a test will detect multiple antigens simultaneously
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
12. Which of the following most commonly results from exposure to a single antigen?
A. A single antibody is produced that can respond to multiple antigens.
B. A single antibody is produced that is specific to that antigen.
C. Multiple antibodies are produced because antigens usually have multiple epitopes.
D. Multiple antibodies are produced to respond to a single epitope.*
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
13. When a particular test rarely produces false negatives, it has which of the following?
A. high sensitivity*
B. high specificity
C. low sensitivity
D. low utility
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
14. Compared with the production of polyclonal antibodies, the production of monoclonal
antibodies is which of the following?
A. completed without hybridomas
B. easier and faster
C. less expensive
D. more expensive*
Difficulty: Moderate
ASM Standard: N/A
15. Which type of antibody is preferable for western blot tests and why?
A. monoclonal antibodies, because they are more sensitive and produce a clearer signal
B. monoclonal antibodies, because they are more specific and less expensive
Page 3 of 18
