Anti-Human Antibody in Rabbits

Antibodies are commercially generated for use in research. Each antibody is designed to bind to a specific protein. Secondary, more generic antibodies, then bind to the primary, making it visible to the researcher through staining.

Species

• The species an antibody is raised in and the species it binds to are different. In an antibody description, the species the antibody is anti- to is the one to which it binds. An anti-human, rabbit antibody would be a primary antibody which binds specifically to a human protein and has been raised in a rabbit.

Primary Antibodies

• Primary antibodies are designed to bind to specific proteins; these may sometimes be species-specific. It is only primary antibodies which would be anti-human, as antibodies are not raised in humans. Therefore, an anti-human, antibody in rabbits would be a primary antibody.

Secondary Antibodies

• Secondary antibodies are more generic. They are designed to bind to primary antibodies raised in a certain species, for example, rabbits. These bind to all primary antibodies raised in that species, regardless of the protein to which the primary antibody binds. This is why there will not be anti-human secondary antibodies; no primary antibodies will be raised in humans to which they can bind.