ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) is a popular biochemistry assay used to detect the presence of a substance like an antigen in a liquid sample. It involves using at least one antibody with specificity for a particular antigen. In ELISA, a liquid sample is added to a solid phase and multiple liquid reagents are sequentially added and incubated followed by an optical change like color development that is measured to quantify the analyte. ELISA has been used as a diagnostic tool in medicine and other industries since the 1960s. It has four main types - indirect, direct, competitive, and multiple/portable - and applications like detecting antibodies, allergens, drugs, and diseases.