If a person has a reaction to poison ivy,this is caused by:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Poison ivy contains a chemical called urushiol which is a hapten. Hapten is a small molecule that can't provoke an immune response by itself. But it can cause an immune response when it complexes with a larger molecule such as a tissue protein. So when a person comes into contact with poison ivy, urushiol enters the skin and complexes with skin proteins. The immune system then recognizes this hapten-protein complex as foreign and triggers an immune response, leading to the allergic reaction.

If a Person Has a Reaction to Poison Ivy,this Is