Hapten meaning
A small molecule that reacts with a specific antibody but cannot induce the formation of antibodies unless bound to a carrier protein or other large antigenic molecule.
noun
A compound which, when coupled with a protein or other molecule, can cause the formation of antibodies.
noun
A small molecule that reacts with a specific antibody but does not induce an immune response unless bound to a larger molecule, usually a protein.
noun
Origin of hapten
- German Greek haptein to fasten German -en n. suff. (from Greek -ēnē -ene)
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From German Hapten
From Wiktionary