Answer to Question #62680 in Molecular Biology for Sanjukta Ghosh

Question

What are isotypes, allotypes and idiotypes? Are they same as isotypic determinants, allotypic determinants and idiotypic determinants?

P.S. Please explain as simply as possible.

Answer 1

Isotype is an antibody with antigenic determinants that characterize classes and subclasses of heavy chains and types and subtypes of light chains.
Allotype is an antibody with antigenic determinants specified by allelic forms of the Ig genes.
Idiotype is an antibody with unique antigenic determinants present on individual antibody molecules or on molecules of identical specificity.