-
Asked by sciencebox to Dalya, Derek, Sarah, Tim, Tom on 19 Jun 2011.
-
Sarah Thomas answered on 15 Jun 2011:
The different blood types are A, B, AB and O. Everyone has receptors on the surface of their red blood cells, and these interact with antibodies in your bodies. We call these receptors Antigens. It’s basivally your body’s way of recognising itself and how your immune system can target things that should be there like bacteria.
People that have the A blood type, have the A antigen on their red blood cells.
People that have the B blood type, have the B antigen on their red blood cells.
People that have the AB blood type, have A and B antigens on their red blood cells.
People that have the O blood type, do not have A or B antigens on their red blood cells.When you get a blood transfusion, the blood that you receive must be from your own blood type or else you’re immune system will recognise it as foreign and attack it. However, the O group is known as the Universal Donor because O blood can be given to anybody.
Your blood type can also either be positive or negative. For example, I am O+.
The positive or negative part depends on if you have a D antigen or not.
To find out what blood type you are, you have to give a blood sample and then the scientists add various antibodies to the sample that they know bind to the different antigens, and they then work out what you are by what antibodies don’t bind.
-
-
Dalya Soond answered on 15 Jun 2011:
You can find out your blood type using a simple blood test from your doctor. This is also an experiment we did at school, but I was the only person brave enough to prick their own finger. I am OO+, which is the most common blood type for Caucasians.
Blood types are based on the ‘flavour’ of molecules that sit on your blood cells, and you inherit these molecules from your parents so both will contribute to it. These molecules are like a sign to say where the blood came from.
The main blood types to be tested for are ABO and the Rhesus factor (+ or -). O and Rh- mean that you do not have that molecules at all.
You need to know your blood type so that you don’t get the wrong type in case of a transfucion. If you do get the wrong ones, the blood will be detroyed.
People that are AB+ are called ‘universal acceptors’ because they can receive any blood type. For instance, if they got AO- blood, they would ‘see’ the A which they also have and assume it was made by their own body. They wouldn’t care about the O- because actually, there are no molecules there (it’s just the name we give ‘absence of molecule’).
People with OO- are called ‘universal donors’ because they can give blood to anyone. Since there are none of the molecules we are concerned about on their cells, the patient’s defenses would not notice someone else’s blood was in them.
It is important to know your blood type because if you ever get a blood transfusion with the wrong type, that blood will be destroyed and you will probably get even sicker than you started out. Because People that are OO do not have any of that molecule in their blood, they can only receive OO. If I received blood type AO, my cells would see the A molecule and start to detroy the cells (even though there is also an O). Same goes for the Rhesus factor. If you are Rh- you are never allowed to get RH+ blood. However, if you are AB, you can get blood that is A, B, or O.
-
Derek McKay-Bukowski answered on 15 Jun 2011:
Great answers from Sarah and Dalya. I definitely can’t add to what they’ve written!
-
-
Tom Crick answered on 19 Jun 2011:
Great answers already!
I don’t know my blood type and I’ve been meaning to find out for years…
Comments