The Small Segment of Antigen That is Capable of Eliciting

Question

The small segment of antigen that is capable of eliciting an immune response is called a(n)
A) hapten.
B) clonotope.
C) aggretope.
D) epitope.
E) naïve antigen.

Accepted Answer

The small segment of an antigen that can elicit an immune response from the host is called an epitope. It is also called an antigenic determinant because it can interact with an antibody or T cell receptor. Option A, hapten, is a small molecule which can elicit an immune response only when attached to a larger carrier molecule. Option B, clonotope, and C, aggretope, are not terms commonly used in immunology. Option E, naive antigen, is not a defined term in immunology.