Hemagglutination is the clumping (agglutination) together of erythrocytes (red blood cells), which occurs when viral surface spikes called hemagglutinins bind to receptors on erythrocyte membranes. In a microtiter plate, this clumping is visualized as redness spread throughout the well.

Hemagglutination

Agglutination or aggregation occurs when pathogens are cross linked by antibodies to create large aggregates. When large aggregates develop phagocytes can ingest them easier. The pentameric structure of IgM provides ten Fab binding sites per molecule, making it the most efficient antibody for agglutination.

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Antibodies have many functions to help facilitate an adaptive immune response:
- Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC)
- Opsonization
- Neutralization 
- Agglutination
- Activation of The Complement System

Functions of Antibodies

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Neutralization involves the binding of certain antibodies (IgG, IgM, or IgA) to epitopes on the surface of pathogens or toxins, preventing their attachment to cells.

Neutralization

Agglutination

The coating of a pathogen with opsonin, tagging it for phagocytic cells to easily recognize and destroy it

Opsonization

Can be more efficient when activated by specific antibody produced by the adaptive immune response. The specific antibody attaches to the pathogen to form an antibody-antigen complex, activating mutlipart protein C1. C1 then recruits other complement proteins in a cascading manner.

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