Difference between monoclonal antibody and polyclonal antibody?

Answer 1

Polyclonal antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies

Inexpensive to produce

Expensive to produce

Technology required is low

High technology required

Skills required are low

Training is required for the technology use

Time scale is short

Time scale is long for hybridomas

Produces large amounts of non specific antibodies

Can produce large amounts of specific antibodies but may be too specific

Recognizes multiple epitopes on any one antigen

Recognizes only one epitope on an antigen

Can be batch to batch variability

Once a hybridoma is made it is a constant and renewable source and all batches will be identical

Answer 2

Monoclonal antibodies are derived from a single clone of B cells and therefore are identical in structure and specificity, targeting a single epitope on an antigen. Polyclonal antibodies, on the other hand, are produced by multiple clones of B cells and recognize multiple epitopes on an antigen, resulting in a mixture of antibodies with different specificities.