What type of antibody is produced by a single clone of B-lymphocytes?

Monoclonal antibodies are produced by a single clone of B-lymphocytes, meaning they originate from a single parent cell that has undergone clonal expansion. This results in the production of a homogenous population of antibodies that are identical in structure and specificity. Because they target a specific epitope on an antigen, monoclonal antibodies are very effective for various applications in research, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

In contrast, polyclonal antibodies arise from different B-lymphocyte clones and can target multiple epitopes of the same antigen, resulting in a mixture of antibodies rather than a uniform product. Natural antibodies are those that are produced as part of the innate immune response and do not necessarily come from B-lymphocytes that have been activated by a specific antigen. Neutralizing antibodies specifically inhibit the biological activity of pathogens or toxins, but they can be either monoclonal or polyclonal depending on their origin, thus not uniquely defining a clone of B-lymphocytes.

The specific nature and consistency of monoclonal antibodies make them valuable in various scientific and medical fields.