BLOOD TYPING

1901 - Austrian Karl Landsteiner discovered human blood groups

Blood Type is Controlled by 3 Alleles

Alleles: A, B, O
A & B are codominant
O is recessive

Blood Transfusions

Blood that has antibodies on it that is not recognized by the body will be attacked by your immune system

O is the Universal Donor because a person with this type of blood does not have antigens on the surface of the blood cells - hence will not cause an immune reaction in the patient.

AB is the universal Acceptor because this person will not have an immune reaction to A, B, AB, or O

*Just remember, the antigens on the surface of your cells (or donated cells) will cause a reaction if your immune system does not recognize them as being part of you. Hence, if you are Type A, and transfused with Type B, your body will mobilize a massive immune response against the "invading" blood. This will cause coagulation of blood and death.

----- AGGLUTINATION (the clumping of red blood cells following a transfusion reaction; likely fatal

Rh Factor (Rh = rhesus monkey)

A person can have surface Rh antigens (and be Rh +) or no antigens (and be Rh - )
Rh factor is caused by a dominant allele and is inherited like any other trait.

Problem: When a fetus is Rh+ and the mother is Rh-, this can cause the mother's immune system to attack the fetus. There are drugs that will suppress this reaction.
*This condition is called Erythroblastosis fetalis . Doctors can prevent this reaction by giving the woman an injection that will suppress her immune reaction.

BLOOD SAFETY

EXAMPLES OF BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS
HEPATITIS B (HBV)
HEPATITIS C (HCV)
HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV)
MALARIA
OTHER POTENTIALLY INFECTIOUS MATERIALS