affinity /af·fin·i·ty/ (ah-fin´ĭ-te)
affinity
affinity [ah-fin´ĭ-te]
1. attraction; a tendency to seek out or unite with another object or substance.
2. in chemistry, the tendency of two substances to form strong or weak chemical bonds forming molecules or complexes.
3. in immunology, the thermodynamic bond strength of an antigen-antibody complex. Cf. avidity.
af·fin·i·ty ( -f n -t )n. 1. An attraction or force between particles that causes them to combine. 2. The attraction between an antigen and an antibody. 3. A relationship or resemblance in structure between species that suggests a common origin. 4. The selective staining of a tissue by a dye. 5. The selective uptake of a dye, chemical, or other substance by a tissue. |
affinity
[əfin′itē]
Etymology: L, affinis, related
the measure of the binding strength of the antigen-antibody reaction.
affinity [ah-fin´ĭ-te]
1. attraction; a tendency to seek out or unite with another object or substance.
2. in chemistry, the tendency of two substances to form strong or weak chemical bonds forming molecules or complexes.
3. in immunology, the thermodynamic bond strength of an antigen-antibody complex.
affinity
1. attraction; a tendency to seek out or unite with another object or substance.
2. in chemistry, the tendency of two substances to form strong or weak chemical bonds forming molecules or complexes.
3. in immunology, the thermodynamic bond strength of an antigen-antibody complex.
antibody affinity
the strength of the binding interaction between antigen and antibody.
drug affinity
the attraction of a particular class of receptor to a drug, at a level sufficient to give an observable reaction. Such a drug is an agonist.
affinity maturation
the increased affinity of antibody for an antigen which occurs during the course of an immune response.
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