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Serology is the scientific study of blood serum
Blood plasma

Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended. It makes up about 55% of total blood volume. It is composed of mostly water , and contains dissolved proteins, glucose, clotting factors, mineral ions, Hormone and carbon dioxide ....
. In practice, the term usually refers to the diagnostic identification of antibodies
Antibody

Antibodies are gamma globulin proteins that are found in blood or other bodily fluids of vertebrates, and are used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects, such as bacterium and viruses....
 in the serum. Such antibodies are typically formed in response to an infection (against a given microorganism
Microorganism

A microorganism or microbe is an organism that is microscopic . The study of microorganisms is called microbiology, a subject that began with Anton van Leeuwenhoek's discovery of microorganisms in 1675, using a microscope of his own design....
), against other foreign proteins (in response, for example, to a mismatched blood transfusion
Blood transfusion

Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood or blood-based products from one person into the circulatory system of another. Blood transfusions can be life-saving in some situations, such as massive blood loss due to Physical trauma, or can be used to replace blood lost during surgery....
), or to one's own proteins (in instances of autoimmune disease
Autoimmune disease

Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body attacks its own cells....
).

Serological tests may be performed for diagnostic purposes when an infection
Infection

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host resources to multiply ....
 is suspected, in rheumatic illnesses, and in many other situations, such as checking an individual's blood type
Blood type

A blood type is a classification of blood based on the presence or absence of Inheritance antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells ....
. Serology blood tests help to diagnose patients with certain immune deficiencies associated with the lack of antibodies, such as X-linked agammaglobulinemia
X-linked agammaglobulinemia

X-linked agammaglobulinemia is a rare X-linked genetic disorder that affects the body's ability to fight infection . XLA patients do not generate mature B cells....
.






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Serology is the scientific study of blood serum
Blood plasma

Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended. It makes up about 55% of total blood volume. It is composed of mostly water , and contains dissolved proteins, glucose, clotting factors, mineral ions, Hormone and carbon dioxide ....
. In practice, the term usually refers to the diagnostic identification of antibodies
Antibody

Antibodies are gamma globulin proteins that are found in blood or other bodily fluids of vertebrates, and are used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects, such as bacterium and viruses....
 in the serum. Such antibodies are typically formed in response to an infection (against a given microorganism
Microorganism

A microorganism or microbe is an organism that is microscopic . The study of microorganisms is called microbiology, a subject that began with Anton van Leeuwenhoek's discovery of microorganisms in 1675, using a microscope of his own design....
), against other foreign proteins (in response, for example, to a mismatched blood transfusion
Blood transfusion

Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood or blood-based products from one person into the circulatory system of another. Blood transfusions can be life-saving in some situations, such as massive blood loss due to Physical trauma, or can be used to replace blood lost during surgery....
), or to one's own proteins (in instances of autoimmune disease
Autoimmune disease

Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body attacks its own cells....
).

Serological tests may be performed for diagnostic purposes when an infection
Infection

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host resources to multiply ....
 is suspected, in rheumatic illnesses, and in many other situations, such as checking an individual's blood type
Blood type

A blood type is a classification of blood based on the presence or absence of Inheritance antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells ....
. Serology blood tests help to diagnose patients with certain immune deficiencies associated with the lack of antibodies, such as X-linked agammaglobulinemia
X-linked agammaglobulinemia

X-linked agammaglobulinemia is a rare X-linked genetic disorder that affects the body's ability to fight infection . XLA patients do not generate mature B cells....
. In such cases, tests for antibodies will be consistently negative.

There are several serology techniques that can be used depending on the antibodies being studied. These include: ELISA
ELISA

Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay, also called ELISA, Enzyme ImmunoAssay or EIA, is a biochemistry technique used mainly in immunology to detect the presence of an antibody or an antigen in a sample....
, agglutination
Agglutination (biology)

Agglutination is the clumping of particles. The word agglutination comes from the Latin language agglutinare, meaning "to glue to."This occurs in biology in three main examples:...
, precipitation
Precipitation (chemistry)

Precipitation is the formation of a solid in a solution during a chemical reaction. When the reaction occurs, the solid formed is called the precipitate, and the liquid remaining above the solid is called the supernate....
, complement-fixation, and fluorescent antibodies
Direct fluorescent antibody

Direct fluorescent antibody is a laboratory test that uses antibody fluorescent tag with fluorescent dye to detect the presence of microorganisms....
.

Some serological tests are not limited to blood serum, but can also be performed on other bodily fluids such as semen
Semen

Semen is an organic fluid, also known as seminal fluid, that usually contains spermatozoon....
 and saliva
Saliva

Saliva is the watery and usually frothy substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is produced in and secreted from the salivary glands....
, which have (roughly) similar properties to serum.

Serological tests may also be used forensically
Forensics

Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or to a civil action....
, generally to link a perpetrator to a piece of evidence (e.g., linking a rapist to a semen sample).

See also


  • Medical laboratory
    Medical laboratory

    A medical laboratory or clinical laboratory is a laboratory where tests are done on clinical specimens in order to get information about the health of a patient....
  • Seroconversion
    Seroconversion

    Seroconversion is the development of detectable specific antibodies to microorganisms in the blood plasma as a result of infection or immunization....
  • Serovar
    Serovar

    A serovar or serotype is a group of microorganisms or viruses classified together based on their cell surface antigens. Serovars allow the epidemiologic classification of organisms to the sub-species level....
  • Medical technologist
    Medical technologist

    File:Lab tech.JPGA medical technologist is a healthcare professional who performs diagnostic analytic tests on body fluids such as blood, urine, sputum, feces, cerebrospinal fluid , peritoneal fluid, pericardial fluid, and synovial fluid, as well as other specimens....


External links

  • - MedlinePlus
    MedlinePlus

    MedlinePlus, with the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, is a website network containing health information from the world's largest medical library, the United States National Library of Medicine, in cooperation with the National Institutes of Health....
     Medical Encyclopedia