Monday, February 14, 2011

How Is Blood Grouping Done?

The broad classification of the groups or types is based on the presence or absence of particular antigens that are carried on the surface of red blood cells. Corresponding antibodies are carried in the blood plasma. Broadly the types are A, B, AB and O but the International Society of Blood Transfusion recognizes some thirty types fro the purposes of blood transfusion - the process of transferring blood taken from one person to another person.

A person with a particular antigen in his blood cannot have the same antibody. Thus a person with  blood containing the antigen A cannot have the antibody A in his blood.

A person of the blood group A has the antigen A and the antibody B. Similarly a person belonging to the blood group B will have the antigen B and the antibody A. The person belonging to the blood group AB will have only the antigens A and B and  no antibodies. The person of the blood type O has only the antibodies A and B and no antigens.

Another type of blood group is the Rh blood group. This name is derived from the group first discovered in the Rhesus monkey. In this group there is the Rh Positive and the Rh Negative blood groups.

The other blood groups include the A1 Positive (A1 +ve), A1 Negative (A1 -ve), A2 Positive, A2 Negative, B Positive, B Negative, O Positive and O Negative to name a few.

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