Epitope

(noun. /EP-ih-tohp/) 

by Devina Thiono

What does it mean? 

An epitope is the specific site/location on an antigen (for example, a piece of a virus or bacterium) where an antibody attaches or “binds.”

How do I use it in a sentence?

The epitope of antibody X is located on the tip of the spike protein, while the epitope of antibody Y is on the body/stem of the spike protein (see image).

Antibody Y and Antibody X attach to different epitopes on the same antigen. In this example, the antigen is the spike protein on the outside of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID. Image was made by author with biorender.com.

Related terms

Antigen
Antibody

Fields of study in which this word is commonly used

Immunology
Biochemistry
Diagnostic
Vaccinology (the science of vaccine development)

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