An antigen that triggers the production of agglutinins; a substance on a cell surface that causes immune clumping.
From agglutinin + -gen (Greek -genes 'producing'). Literally 'that which produces agglutinin.'
Blood types A, B, and O are literally defined by different agglutinogens on red blood cells—these surface markers evolved as a puzzle your immune system remembers, which is why transfusion compatibility is so strict and why blood banks must carefully match types.
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