Multiple Choice
The formation of an insoluble antibody-antigen complex is a characteristic of which immunoassay technique?
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26. Applications of the Immune Response
Immunoassays Detecting Antigen-Antibody Aggregates
Multiple Choice
In precipitation reactions the antigen is a ______, while in agglutination reactions the antigen is often ______.
A
Bacterium; a virus.
B
Soluble molecule; cell bound.
C
Nucleic acid molecule; a protein molecule.
D
Cell surface antigen; a cytoplasmic antigen.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the nature of antigens involved in precipitation and agglutination reactions. Precipitation reactions involve antigens that are soluble molecules, meaning they can dissolve in a solution and form a visible precipitate when they react with antibodies.
Recognize that agglutination reactions involve antigens that are cell-bound, such as those found on the surface of cells or particles like bacteria or red blood cells. These antigens cause clumping (agglutination) when antibodies bind to them.
Recall that in precipitation reactions, the antigen-antibody complexes form a lattice that becomes insoluble, leading to visible precipitates in the solution.
In agglutination, the antigen is typically part of a larger structure (like a cell), so the antibody binding causes the cells or particles to clump together visibly.
Therefore, the key difference is that precipitation reactions involve soluble antigens, while agglutination reactions involve cell-bound antigens.
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