conglutination

(immunology) The completion of an agglutinating system, or the enhancement of an incomplete one, by the addition of certain substances.
(medicine) Abnormal union of two contiguous surfaces or bodies.

A term used in serology to describe the completion or enhancement of an incomplete agglutinating system by the addition of certain substances. Some bacteria or ery-throcyte suspensions do not exhibit the visible agglutination ordinarily expected after they have been coated with their specific antibodies and complement. Further addition of a conglutinating agent—normal bovine serum—however, initiates visible agglutination. Complement is an essential component of the system. The conglutination reagent is itself without effect in the absence of antibody and complement. Similar overall actions, such as agglutination of Rh⁺ cells, occur when human serum, gelatin, or bovine serum albumin are added to the incomplete Rh antibodies found in some sera, but since this enhancing effect occurs also in the absence of complement, these reactions probably are to be distinguished in mechanism from that of the traditional conglutination. The conglutination reaction can be used for a variety of serological diagnostic reactions in bacterial and viral infections. See also Agglutination reaction; Blood groups; Complement; Complement-fixation test.

1. Agglutination of the complex of antigen, antibody, and complement by normal bovine serum and other colloidal materials.
2. See adhesion (sense ).

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: healing process involving the growing together of the edges of a wound or the growing together of broken bones
  Synonym: union

Meaning #2: the union of diverse things into one body or form or group; the growing together of parts
  Synonyms: coalescence, coalescency, coalition, concretion