Age and Antibody-Production

[摘要] A difference in the reactivity of antisera produced in animals of various ages has previously been suggested (2, 3) on the basis of so-called avidity-experiments in agglutinating and hemolytic systems. Avidity was used to designate differences in the rate of appearance of flocculation (or hemolysis). Different degrees of flocculation at intermediate periods were contrasted with the final flocculation observed at an arbitrarily chosen end-point of twenty-four hours and the observed differences in the rate of appearance of the flocculation were taken to be indicative of qualitative differences in the antisera concerned. The avidity of fresh antisera agglutinating B. enteriditis was found to be greater in adult than in young (500 to 700 grams) rabbits. Some experiments indicated that hemolytic antisera showed the same characteristics.It seems desirable further to investigate the possibilities of differences in the reactions of sera from animals at different ages.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）