Final answer:
Complement activation is the mechanism responsible for coating pathogens with antibodies, leading to their agglutination and elimination. This process involves antibodies such as IgM and IgG triggering the complement system, which enhances immune response functions like opsonization and formation of the MAC, subsequently leading to pathogen clearance. The correct option is B. Complement activation
Step-by-step explanation:
The mechanism responsible for coating pathogens with antibodies, leading to their agglutination and subsequent elimination is complement activation.
Antibodies such as IgM and IgG coat extracellular pathogens. This process not only neutralizes the pathogens by blocking sites that enhance infectivity but also triggers complement activation.
Through this activation, particularly via the classical pathway, antibodies on the surface of the pathogens recruit and activate the complement system, facilitating various immune responses including opsonization, inflammation, and the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC) that can lyse the pathogen.
Antigen-antibody interactions are crucial for the body's defense mechanisms, linking adaptive and innate immunity. Thus, complement activation is a vital component of the immune response that aids in agglutination and clearance of pathogens from the body. The correct option is B. Complement activation