Isoantigen
Encyclopedia
An isoantigen is a type of antigen
which is present only in subsets of a species
.
Two major types of isoantigens are blood group antigens and histocompatibility
antigens.
Antigen
An antigen is a foreign molecule that, when introduced into the body, triggers the production of an antibody by the immune system. The immune system will then kill or neutralize the antigen that is recognized as a foreign and potentially harmful invader. These invaders can be molecules such as...
which is present only in subsets of a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
.
Two major types of isoantigens are blood group antigens and histocompatibility
Histocompatibility
Histocompatibility is the property of having the same, or mostly the same, alleles of a set of genes called the major histocompatibility complex. These genes are expressed in most tissues as antigens, to which the immune system makes antibodies...
antigens.