Final answer:
In the technique known as immunoelectrophoresis, antigens and antibodies are induced to move toward each other under the influence of an electrical field, which leads to the formation of precipitin arcs at the zone of equivalence in a gel.
Step-by-step explanation:
The technique in which antigens and antibodies can be induced to move toward one another under the influence of an electrical field is known as immunoelectrophoresis. This process is used to identify different antibody classes in plasma or serum and to demonstrate the presence of specific antigens, such as bacterial or viral proteins.
In immunoelectrophoresis, proteins including antigens and antisera are added to neighboring wells in a gel, allowing them to diffuse through the gel. Where they meet at the zone of equivalence, a precipitin arc forms, which is a visible line indicating the reaction between the antigen and antibody. The precipitin arc is stable and does not diffuse further through the gel due to the size of the precipitin lattice that forms when antigens and antibodies bind to each other at optimal proportions.
The underlying principle behind this movement of antigens and antibodies in an electrical field is similar to how a charged particle is moved by an electric field from a higher potential to a lower potential. However, in immunoelectrophoresis, the movement of proteins is due to their net charge in a buffered medium when an electric field is applied, causing them to migrate towards the opposite charge.