How does a rapid test work?

Recently I realized that neither I nor anyone I knew could explain to me how a rapid test worked and what was in the various components, ie, fluid and test strip. 

I found the excellent diagram below in this article https://asm.org/Articles/2020/August/How-the-SARS-CoV-2-EUA-Antigen-Tests-Work (Thank you, Andrea Prinzi https://asm.org/Biographies/Andrea-Prinzi)
  • The fluid is 99% saline
  • The test strip (lateral flow assay) holds the magic, literally, gold atoms!
 For now, I am satisfied. But why gold?

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