Study note
MicrobiologyImmune Response

Clonal selection theory of antibody formation

THE CONTEXT
Clonal selection places immunological specificity at the cellular level and is described as the most relevant and accepted theory.

Development and selection of clones

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During immunological development, somatic mutation was proposed to generate cells capable of reacting with different antigens.
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Clones reactive with self-antigens were proposed to be eliminated during embryonic life; these are called forbidden clones.
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Contact with a specific antigen leads to cellular proliferation, forming clones that synthesise the antibody.

Scope of the theory

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Although widely accepted, clonal selection does not account for every feature of the immune response.
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The modifications and alternative theories mentioned in the source also fail to explain everything known about immunity.
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