In the previous post about blood type, it was mentioned that there are antibodies in the plasma that lock up with antigens on the surface of red blood cells. There said to be agglutination in blood when the antibodies lock up with the antigens. Agglutination is when red blood cells clump together because of the effects of antibodies.
Blood typing is a method to tell what specific type of blood you have. Agglutination is used in blood typing.
Blood typing tests whether agglutination occurs when you put your blood and a type of antibodies together. This determines the kind of antigens there are in the blood.
Three types of different antibodies are used: A antibodies. B antibodies. Rh antibodies.
Blood typing is a method to tell what specific type of blood you have. Agglutination is used in blood typing.
Blood typing tests whether agglutination occurs when you put your blood and a type of antibodies together. This determines the kind of antigens there are in the blood.
Three types of different antibodies are used: A antibodies. B antibodies. Rh antibodies.
- A blood sample is needed and will be drawn from a vein.
- The blood sample is mixed with patient's blood with three different antibodies: A, B or Rh antibodies.
- Look for Agglutination. Agglutination indicates that the blood has reacted with a certain antibody. If the blood doesn’t agglutinate, it means that the blood does not have the antigens that can lock up with the antibodies of that kind.
Determine the person's blood type. If blood agglutinate in a test tube containing a type of antibodies, the blood type will contain the antigens of the same type.
For example, if there was agglutination in test tube containing antibodies B => blood type B If there was agglutination in test tube containing antibodies A => blood type A If there was agglutination in both test tubes containing antibodies A and B => blood type AB If there was agglutination in none of the test tubes containing antibodies A or B => blood type O If there was agglutination in test tube containing Rh antibodies => blood type Rh+ If there wasn't any agglutination in test tube containing Rh antibodies => blood type Rh- |