Practise Uses of monoclonal antibodies. 11 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy4 marks
Monoclonal antibodies have many uses.
(a) Give two uses of monoclonal antibodies.[2]
(b) In research, monoclonal antibodies are used to find where a specific molecule is in a cell. What is attached to the antibodies so that the molecule can be seen? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
An antibiotic
A fluorescent dye
A hormone
A painkiller
(c) Monoclonal antibodies are not yet as widely used as scientists hoped when they were first developed. Give one reason why.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
diagnosis, e.g. in pregnancy tests
measuring the levels of hormones / other chemicals in the blood
detecting pathogens
locating / identifying specific molecules in cells or tissues in research
treating some diseases, e.g. cancer
(b)Answer: A fluorescent dye
(c)
they cause more side effects than expected
Question 2Medium5 marks
Sports anti-doping laboratories use a monoclonal antibody test to detect a banned performance-enhancing substance in an athlete's urine sample.
(a) Explain how a monoclonal antibody test could show whether the banned substance is present in the sample.[2]
(b) Explain why it is important that this test very rarely gives a false positive result (showing the substance is present when it is not).[2]
(c) Suggest one advantage of using a monoclonal antibody test rather than sending every sample straight for a more complex laboratory analysis.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
the monoclonal antibody is specific and binds only to the banned substance
if the substance is present, the antibody binds to it, producing a signal, e.g. a colour change, that shows a positive result
(b)
a false positive could wrongly accuse an athlete of doping, damaging their career and reputation unfairly
the antibody must bind only to the banned substance and not to other, similar molecules the athlete's body might naturally produce
(c)
it can give a quick initial result, so only samples that test positive need further, more detailed analysis
Question 3Hard8 marks
Some cancer treatments use monoclonal antibodies. The antibody can be bound to a radioactive substance, a toxic drug or a chemical that stops cells growing and dividing. Standard chemotherapy uses drugs that are carried in the blood to all parts of the body. These drugs kill cells that are dividing rapidly.
(a) Suggest why standard chemotherapy often causes hair loss.[2]
(b) Evaluate the use of monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer, compared with standard chemotherapy.[6]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
the drugs kill all rapidly dividing cells, not only cancer cells
cells that make hair divide rapidly, so they are also killed
(b)
monoclonal antibodies are specific: they bind only to an antigen on the cancer cells
the radioactive substance / toxic drug / chemical is delivered directly to the cancer cells
so fewer healthy cells are harmed / fewer side effects than standard chemotherapy
they can reach cancer cells that have spread to different parts of the body
but monoclonal antibodies have caused more side effects than expected
each type of cancer needs a specific antibody / the cancer cells must have a specific antigen
they are expensive and slow to produce / purify
mice are used in their production (ethical concerns)
a judgement, e.g. they are an improvement for some cancers, but are not yet as widely used as was hoped
Marked with levels of response: the full level descriptors are in the app.