In my previous post, I have been explaining Hematology, basically Erythropoiesis. In doing that, I explained the formation of Red Blood Cells, and the Life Cycle of Red Blood Cells. Today, I will be looking into Blood typing. I have seen and hear a lot of people misplace blood types for blood genotype. I saw in a video where a random interview was done, and a person was asked for his blood group, only to mention that his blood group was AS. That was a wrong answer, mind you, but in today's post, I am not discussing blood genotype, I am discussing Blood typing.
Even Blood requires Simple Arithmetic
Blood Typing refers to the Red Blood Cell grouping system, determined by the presence or absence of antigens which could be allelic or linked, as closely as the same chromosome, which can trigger immune responses with the presence of a foreign body.
With Blood typing, understanding the blood group and the types of blood that could be transfused into a person is very important to prevent the immune system to attack the transfused blood. Blood grouping is as a result of antigen combination on the surface of the membrane of the Red Blood Cell. The grouping is basically the ABO, and the RH blood grouping system. In the membrane of the blood, there can either be an A, B, or RH antigen, which allows for the identification of blood types A person can have an A antigen in their blood, a B antigen in their Blood, an AB antigen in their blood, and when the person does not have an A or B antigen in their blood, they are referred to as having a O blood type. The Rh antigen is used to determine if the blood is positive or negative. When the Rh antigen is present, it is positive, when it is not present, it is negative. When a person has the A antigen, it means they do not possess **Antibodies, when they have B antigen in their blood cell, then they do not possess B antibodies, and when the RBC does have the Rh cell surface protein, then it wouldn't possess the Rh antibodies.
In the testing for blood type, wherever there is an Agglutination between the blood antigens and the Antibody available, helps to know the blood type (The antibodies for these antigens A and B is found in the plasma). It is important to know that an individual cannot possess both antigens and antibodies together, as they would cause agglutination in the blood. In testing, separate dishes contain Antibodies-A (Anti-A), Antibodies-B, and the Rhesus (Rh) antibody serum. In each of the dishes, the blood are tested for presence of agglutination in them. If the test shows agglutination in the A petri but not in the B Petri, and the Rh, then the blood is A-, since it does not possess the Rh as well. When there is Agglutination in the A petri and the Rh Petri, It means the blood is A+. With agglutination on the B petri only, then that means the blood is of the type B-. If there is an agglutination in the B, and Rh petri, then the blood is B+. When there is agglutination in the A and B petri, with no agglutination in the Rh petri, then the blood type is AB-. When there is agglutination on the three petri dishes, then the blood is AB+ If there isn't any clumping in the petri dishes, then the blood type is O-, with A, B, and Rh antibodies in its plasma. If there is an agglutination in the Rh Petri alone, then the blood is an O+
Blood Group A-
They can donate to blood group A+, A-, AB+, AB- and they can receive blood from A- as well as Universal Donors O-.
Blood Group A+
People with this blood group can only donate blood to A+, AB+, and will be able to receive blood from people with A+, A-, and universal donor (O-, O+)
Blood Group B-
People who fall under this Blood type can donate their blood to B-, B+, AB+, AB-. People with this blood groups have A and Rh antibodies and cannot receive blood from A, or AB or anyone with a positive rhesus. They can receive blood from general donor O-, and from B-
Blood Group B+
They can give blood to people with the blood group B+, and AB+, and can receive blood from B+, B-, O+, and O-.
Blood Group AB-
AB negative isn't much of a giver, they only donate to same blood type (AB-, and AB+). They can receive blood from general donor O, AB-, A-, and B-.
Blood Group AB+
AB+ can only donate blood to themselves (AB+), and cannot give blood to another blood group. They can receive blood from blood type A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, and general donor O+, and O-.
Blood Group O-
The Blood O- can give to anyone, remember it is a general donor. It can give blood to A+, A-, B-, B+, O+ and O-. He can only receive blood from itself (O-).
Blood Group O+
O+ blood type are general donors, but they give specifically to bloods with the Positive Rhesus which includes A+, B+, O+, AB+. They can only receive blood from O+, and O-
Blood grouping can also be a factor in pregnancy, where the mother's blood produces antibodies. For instance, if the Mother is a Rh-, while the child is Rh+, during childbirth, part of the fetal blood leaks into the mother's blood causing her blood to produce antibodies against the blood. If there is a second birth with the same rhesus as the first birth, then the antibodies can cross through the placenta, attacking the baby's red blood cell, causing Hemolytic Anemia, destroying the baby's red blood cell and causing the disease Hemolytic Disease of a newborn/Erythroblastosis fetalis. To prevent this, RhoGAM can e given to the mother, which is an anti-RH antibodies, binding to prevent attack in the baby blood cells .
Conclusion
Blood groups are inherited from parents, and not as a result of social factors, such as weather, age, diseases, and so on. It is important to know that a blood group antigen will not appear in a child, unless it is in one of its parents, and if a parent is homozygous with one blood group antigen, the child must have that antigen.