Polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) are a heterogeneous mixture of multiple antibodies that are typically derived by different B-cell clones of an animal. They are produced by the inoculation of a suitable mammal, such as a rabbit, goat or mouse. Larger mammals are often preferred as the amount of serum derived is greater. Advantages of polyclonal antibodies include:  

• Relatively quicker and less expensive to produce 
• Have a higher sensitivity for detecting proteins in low quantities
• Offer wider options for producing antibodies in different animals
• Higher overall antibody affinity against the antigen because of its ability to recognize and bind to multiple epitopes
• Faster binding to the target antigen because of higher antibody affinity 
• Higher ability to capture the protein of interest 
• Relatively simple to purify using affinity chromatography techniques
• Easy to couple with antibody labels
• Does not affect binding capability