Definition

A type of antibody that is created when a person's immune system detects foreign antigens from another individual of the same species, usually after a blood transfusion or organ transplant.

Example

The patient's alloantibody response was monitored after the blood transfusion.

Conversation

I was reading about how our bodies react to different blood types.

Oh really? What did you find interesting?

I learned that an alloantibody can form if someone receives the wrong type of blood.

That's fascinating! I had no idea our immune system worked that way.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Alloantibody → It is formed from "allo-" (from Greek "allos", meaning other or different) and "antibody" (from Greek "anti-", meaning against, and "body", referring to a substance in the body). The term describes an antibody that is produced in response to an antigen from another individual of the same species, thus being 'against' something 'different'.

Memory Tip

Think of 'allo-' meaning 'other' and 'antibody' as a substance that works 'against' something. This helps you remember that an alloantibody is an antibody that reacts against foreign antigens from another individual.

Visually Confused Words