agglutination
uh-gloo-tuh-NAY-shun
/əˌɡluːtɪˈneɪʃən/
The clumping together of cells, bacteria, or other particles, especially as an immunological reaction to specific antibodies.
Refers specifically to the physical clumping of particles, which is a visible indicator used in laboratory blood typing tests.
The story behind the word. The word is built on the Latin word for glue, 'gluten'. When antibodies attach to red blood cells, they act exactly like microscopic glue, binding the cells together into sticky, visible clumps.
Word relationships
- clumping: A general, non-scientific term for particles sticking together.
Commonly confused with
- coagulation: Coagulation is the clotting of blood to stop bleeding (involving platelets and proteins), while agglutination is the clumping of cells due to antibodies binding to antigens.
Word family
- agglutinate (verb): To clump together or cause to clump together.
Collocations
- visible agglutination
- agglutination reaction
- latex agglutination
Example sentences
- "The visible agglutination in the test tube confirmed that the patient had Type A blood." Blood typing test
Memory hook
Agglutination has 'glue' (glu) right in the middle of the word. Gluing cells together.
When not to use
Do not confuse with coagulation, which is the chemical cascade forming a fibrin clot; agglutination is an antibody-mediated clumping.
Fun facts
- Agglutination is the exact mechanism that makes mismatched blood transfusions deadly, as the clumped cells block tiny blood vessels throughout the body.
Related words
Explore more words
aggregation, antigen, antibody, emulsify, amalgamation, accretion
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