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Glite Dictionary
complement fixation test

complement fixation test

6.5
A lab test that mixes blood serum with a germ piece and a blood protein to check for antibodies
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒmplɪˌmɛnt fɪkˈseɪʃən tɛst/
  • Specialized
translation icon : prueba de fijación del complemento
  • Doctors ordered a complement fixation test to check for antibodies in the patient's blood sample.

Examples

  • A positive complement fixation test result provided crucial evidence in confirming the infection.

  • The complement fixation test was used to diagnose infectious diseases before newer assays became widely available.

  • The complement fixation test is crucial for diagnosing certain infections.

  • Have you heard about the complement fixation tests used in labs?

  • Doctors ordered a complement fixation test to check for antibodies in the patient's blood sample.

  • A positive complement fixation test result provided crucial evidence in confirming the infection.

  • The complement fixation test was used to diagnose infectious diseases before newer assays became widely available.

Synonyms

immunochemical assay
vscomplement fixation test
  • Specialized
6.6

A lab test that uses antibodies to find or measure proteins in body samples

is a specific test using added complement to reveal antibodies to one antigen

Surface Forms

complement fixation test singular
complement fixation tests plural

Morphology

complement + fixation + test

The noun phrase is compositionally built — it denotes a 'test' that involves 'complement' and a 'fixation' procedure — so some basic idea (a medical/laboratory test involving complement proteins and a fixation step) is derivable from the parts. However, the terms are technical and the specific purpose and procedure (mixing serum with antigen and complement to detect antibodies) are specialized and not predictable for a B1 learner, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Complement fixation test comes from what the test does: complement are blood proteins that help antibodies, and fixation means the complement gets attached or used up when an antibody meets part of a germ. So if the complement is 'fixed' in the mix, doctors know the blood 'has antibodies' to that germ.