What happened when the blood agglutinated? a) The blood dried out b) The antibodies formed a complex with antigens on the surface of red blood cells c) The antibodies formed a complex with the hemoglobin in the blood d) The blood dissolved the Eldon test card
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is b) The antibodies formed a complex with antigens on the surface of red blood cells.
Agglutination is a process where blood cells clump together due to the interaction between antibodies and specific antigens present on the surface of red blood cells. When blood is mixed with antibodies (like those used in blood typing), the antibodies will bind to the antigens on the red blood cells. This binding causes the red blood cells to clump together or agglutinate.
In blood typing, for example, this is how the presence of A, B, or Rh antigens on red blood cells is determined. If a person has blood type A, their red blood cells will have A antigens on the surface. When anti-A antibodies are added to the sample, they will bind to these A antigens, causing the red blood cells to agglutinate. If the person has type B blood, the anti-B antibodies would cause agglutination with the B antigens present on their red blood cells.
This process is crucial in the context of blood transfusion, as it helps to determine if the donor’s blood is compatible with the recipient’s blood. If agglutination occurs between the donor and recipient blood, it indicates an incompatible match, which can lead to harmful reactions in the body.
Agglutination is also used in other diagnostic tests, such as the Eldon card test, which checks for specific antigens or antibodies in blood. In this test, a visible reaction like clumping can help identify certain blood types or the presence of antibodies related to infectious diseases.
In conclusion, blood agglutination occurs when antibodies interact with antigens on red blood cells, leading to clumping, which is a critical component in blood typing and other medical tests.