Why does blood agglutinate?

[anbuitachi]

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So if you mix together wrong blood, the rbc clumps due to antigen surrounding it. My question is why do they clump together? If antibodies are surrounding the cells, what is actually causing the clumping?

 

[PeterPesto]

I think the antibodies form complexes with the RBC's. Think of it as a meshwork, where the RBCs and antibodies are all joined together.

 

[shushumiga]

So if you mix together wrong blood, the rbc clumps due to antigen surrounding it. My question is why do they clump together? If antibodies are surrounding the cells, what is actually causing the clumping?

You have to first understand the different blood types (A,B,AB,O), what antibodies are produced by each and for what antigent each is acting against. Of course there will be agglutination if you introduce type A blood into type B individual because the type B individuals produces anti-A antibodies against the antigen A so it agllutinates if u combine A and B together.

 

[ten pound]

The clumping is due to the insolubility of the antigen/antibody complex.