Blood Basics
BLOOD FACTS
blood - living tissue that
• carries oxygen & nutrients to all parts of the body
• carries carbon dioxide & other waste products back
to the lungs, kidneys and liver for disposal
• fights against infection & helps heal wounds, so we
can stay healthy
average adult has about 5 liters of blood inside of their
body, which makes up 7-8% of their body weight.
~1 billion red blood cells in 2-3 drops of blood.
for every 600 red blood cells, there are ~40 platelets &
1 white cell.
WHAT MAKES UP OUR BLOOD?
• RED BLOOD CELLS (Erythrocytes) – most abundant cells
in our blood; produced in the bone marrow & contain a protein
called hemoglobin that carries oxygen to our cells
• WHITE BLOOD CELLS (Leukocytes) –part of the immune
system & destroy infectious agents called pathogens
• PLASMA – yellowish liquid portion of blood that contains
electrolytes, nutrients & vitamins, hormones, clotting factors,
& proteins such as antibodies to fight infection.
• PLATELETS (Thrombocytes) – clotting factors that are
carried in the plasma; they clot together in a process called
coagulation to seal a wound and prevent a loss of blood
Blood composition
• Plasma - fluid, gives
volume contains
antibodies
• Platelets - helps in
clotting of blood
• white blood cells - used
in defense against foreign
invaders
• red blood cells - carry
oxygen
blood after it has been centrifuged
(separated into its different
components)
GENETICS OF BLOOD TYPES
• Early 1900s: inherited blood proteins were
identified by Karl Landsteiner & Philip Levine.
• Blood type is established before you are born,
by a specific gene inherited from your parents.
• You inherit one allele from your mother & one
from your father.
• This gene determine your blood type by causing
proteins called ANTIGENS (agglutinogens) to
exist on the surface of red blood cells.
GENETICS OF BLOOD TYPES
• 4 blood types: A, B, AB, & O
• inherited as the result of MULTIPLE ALLELES (many
forms of a gene); in this case, 3 alleles: A, B, & O
• since a person inherits only 2 for each trait, various
combinations of the 3 alleles can exist
(e.g., AO, AB, BB, etc.)
• A & B are codominant
• O is recessive
BLOOD TYPES
• determined by protein that is ON the red blood cells.
These blood cell proteins are called ANTIGENS.
– e.g., blood type A has antigen A
– e.g., blood type AB has both A and B antigens.
BLOOD TYPES
• plasma may contain proteins called ANTIBODIES, & are
referred to as "ANTI-A" and/or "ANTI-B"
• e.g., a person with "B" blood type has "B" antigens on
their red blood cells and antibodies "anti-A" in their
plasma. "O" people have NO antigens on their red blood
cells, they have both "anti-A" & "anti-B" in their plasma
• after birth, the immune system makes antibodies against
the antigens not found on the red blood cells.
BLOOD TYPES
BLOOD TYPES
WHAT ARE BLOOD TYPES?
3 alleles for blood type gene: A, B, & O Blood Types
AA orAO = Type A
Since inherit 1 from each parent, there
BB or BO = Type B
are 6 possible combinations OO = Type O
AB = Type AB
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/blood/types.cfm
How common are the 4 blood types?
4%
11%
45%
40%
Rh FACTORS
mother-fetus
• Scientists sometimes study Rhesus monkeys to condition, called Rh
learn more about human anatomy because there factor was first
are certain similarities between the 2 species. identified in 1940
• While studying Rhesus monkeys, a certain blood
protein was discovered. This protein is also
present in the blood of some people. Other
people, however, do not have the protein.
• The presence of the protein, or lack of it, is
referred to as the Rh (for Rhesus) factor.
• If your blood does contain the protein, your
blood is said to be Rh positive (Rh+). If your A+ A-
blood does not contain the protein, your blood is
said to be Rh negative (Rh-). B+ B-
• It is independent of A, B, AB, & O blood type
AB+ AB-
O+ O-
QUESTIONS
• WHY IS KNOWING ABOUT BLOOD TYPE
IMPORTANT?
• WHATARE SOME APPLICATIONS OF
BLOOD TYPING?
BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS
• blood transfusion - procedure in which blood is given to
a patient through an intravenous (IV) line in one of the
blood vessels
• blood transfusions are done
• to replace blood lost during surgery or a serious
injury
• if a person’s body can't make blood properly
because of an illness
• for blood transfusions to work, donated blood must
match that of the recipient. If blood is not matched, then
immune system of recipient will attack
donated blood clumping (agglutination)
Possible Genotypes: AA AO BB BO AB OO
RBC
Antigen(Agglutinogen A B AB None
)
Plasma Antibodies
Anti-B Anti-A None both
(Agglutininins)
Reaction with Anti-A YES NO YES NO
Reaction with Anti-B NO YES YES NO
BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS
Who can give you blood? Universal Donor
People with TYPE O blood are called
Universal Donors, because they can
give blood to any blood type.
People with TYPE AB blood are called
Universal Recipients, because they
can receive any blood type.
Rh + Can receive + or -
Rh - Can only receive - Universal Recipient
BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS
