Question

Agglutination means
A. Blood Clotting
B. Clumping of RBCs due to antigen and antibody reaction
C. Haemolysis
D. Blood Clotting and Haemolysis

Answer 1

Blood is a body fluid in humans and other animals that delivers the necessary substances like oxygen and nutrients to the cells and transport metabolic waste products away from those same cells. The terms used above are related to blood, its components and various processes.

Complete Answer:
- Agglutination is the process of formation of clumps of cells or inert particles by specific antibodies to surface antigenic components or uniting by glue or other substances.
- Agglutination is the process that occurs if an antigen is mixed with its corresponding antibody called Isoagglutinin. The clumping of cells such as bacteria or red blood cells in the presence of an antibody or complement. The antibody molecule binds multiple particles and joins them, creating a large complex.
- Agglutination is the development of antigen-antibody complexes in the form of particle clumps due to the interaction between the insoluble form of antigens and its soluble and specific antibodies.

There are some types of Agglutination namely:
1. Active/Direct agglutination.
2. Passive agglutination.
3. Hemagglutination.

For example if a person has A+ blood group and B+ is given to him, then the antibodies of A+ bind with the antigens present in B+ and hence agglutination occurs. This is dangerous because the agglutinated RBCs break after a while and their contents leak out and become very toxic.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B). Clumping of RBCs due to antigen and antibody reaction.

Note: Agglutination is the type of RBCs by anti-A antibodies. The antibodies have two combining sites that are able to attach to the A antigens on adjacent RBCs which helps the RBCs to bind together.