32 



INTRODUCTION TO IMMUNOCHEMICAL SPECIFICITY 



Globulin C Globulins A, B and C 



Fig. 2-13. Two-dimensional diagrams illustrating the concept that the in- 

 formation and net specificity of a combination of three different globulin mole- 

 cules may be greater than that of one globulin alone. (Redrawn from Talmage 

 1959.) 



a combination of different globulin molecules could be greater than 

 those of any one type of globulin alone. Talmage suggests that the 

 average "monospecific" serum contains ten to 100 different kinds of 

 globulin molecules and points out that on such a basis the assumption 

 of about 5000 different possible natural globulins could account for 

 approximately 3 X 10^-"^ different specificities. Since this number is 

 larger than the number of electrons the universe is supposed to con- 

 tain, Talmage believes it is satisfactorily large. In fact, Haurowitz 

 (1956) estimated that not more than 50,000 different antibodies exist. 



References 



Avery, O. T., W. F. Goebel, and F. H. Babers, 1932. /. Exptl. Med. 55, 769. 

 Avery, O. T., M. Heidelberger, and W. F. Goebel, 1925, /. Exptl. Med. 42, 

 709. 



