1. ABO/Rh Blood Typing Activity

2. ABO and Rh Blood Typing • ABO/Rh is the most commonly used system for classifying blood type. • It was developed in the late 1800’s by Austrian physician Karl Landsteiner. • He noted that when human blood was transfused to other animals it would clump up (agglutinate). • Landsteiner realized that this effect with humans would be disastrous.

3. ABO Blood Types • By the early 1900’s Landsteiner discovered 2 distinct proteins (A and B) on the surface of human blood • He recognized 4 distinct blood types due to the presence or absence of these molecules • A Molecule – Type A Blood • B Molecule – Type B Blood • Both A and B Molecules – Type AB Blood • Neither A nor B Molecules – Type O Blood

4. ABO Antigens and Antibodies • A and B proteins turn out to be Antigens • Antigens are substances that can stimulate an immune response in people. • VIP – Research indicated that people have specific Antibodies (substances that attack antigens in the immune response) in the plasma. • Type A Blood has Anti B - Type B Blood has Anti A • Type AB has neither antibody - Type O Blood has both A&B

5. Consequences for Blood • Type A Blood (anti-B antibodies) would reject Type B Blood • Type B Blood (anti-A antibodies) would reject Type A Blood • Type O Blood (No antigens) – can be donated to anyone but only receive its own • Type AB Blood (Neither anti-A nor anti-B antibodies are present) – can only donate to its own but can receive from anyone

6. Table 1: ABO Blood Types

7. Rh Antigens • Landsteiner worked Alexander Wiener and they discovered that when blood from a Rhesus Monkey was transfused into a rabbit, the rabbit would produce antibodies that also attacked human blood. • The antibodies to the Rh antigens created the Rh factor. (Rhesus Monkey) • People with Rh antigens are Rh+ • People without Rh antigens are Rh-

8. Table 2: ABO/Rh Blood Types

9. Determining ABO/Rh Blood Type • Easier than you think – remember • anti-A and anti-B determine ABO • anti-Rh determines + or – • All you need is blood samples and the antibodies to add to them (A, B, Rh) • You can eliminate possibilities based agglutination during the mixing.

10. Table 3: Blood Type/Antisera Reactions