Immunologic Factor
hapten Audio
hap·ten [ hap-ten ]
Subclass of:
Epitopes
Etymology:
Greek hapto = bind or seize
Hence an antigen which functions only in combination with another body.
Definitions related to haptens:
  • A substance that can act as an epitope for an antibody but that lacks immunogenicity unless coupled to a larger carrier molecule.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Substances which can act as an epitope for antibody but lack immunogenicity unless coupled to a larger carrier molecule.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Small antigenic determinants capable of eliciting an immune response only when coupled to a carrier. Haptens bind to antibodies but by themselves cannot elicit an antibody response.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Hapten, small molecule that stimulates the production of antibody molecules only when conjugated to a larger molecule, called a carrier molecule. The term hapten is derived from the Greek haptein, meaning "to fasten." Haptens can become tightly fastened to a carrier molecule, most often a protein...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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