• Question: Why do blood types differ and what is the difference?

    Asked by yatestwh to Helen, Jenni, Mark, Martin, Stu on 22 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by leighb09.
    • Photo: Jenni Tilley

      Jenni Tilley answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      I think I’ll leave that one to the biologists 🙂

    • Photo: Helen O'Connor

      Helen O'Connor answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      me too! I am more interested in our thoughts and feelings and how we can use the mind to reach our sporting goals.

    • Photo: Martin Lindley

      Martin Lindley answered on 22 Jun 2011:

      A blood type (also called a blood group) is a classification of blood based on the presence or absence of inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrates, glycoproteins, or glycolipids, depending on the blood group system. Some of these antigens are also present on the surface of other types of cells of various tissues. Several of these red blood cell surface antigens can stem from one allele (or very closely linked genes) and collectively form a blood group system.

      Now this is the imporatnat bit…..Blood types are inherited and represent contributions from both parents. A total of 30 human blood group systems are now recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). However there are only about 8 common ones.

      Evolution has meatn a variety of different types have developed over the lasy 100,000 years or so (relatively recently) and will continue to develope over the next few milenium as we continue to evolve and change.

Comments

  • Photo: corbettr09

    corbettr09 commented on :

    I have a wierd blood type but am good at sport, does that help me?

  • Photo: Sue

    Sue commented on :

    Hello people of the sports zone! I’m a biologist from the forensic zone and can give you a little information about blood groups:

    A person’s blood group is determined by their genes. The most common groups are in the ABO system that you’ve probably already heard about, but there are many other lesser known blood group systems too. In forensic science we used to test for many of these blood groups, but since the development of DNA profiling, it’s now much easier to DNA profile a blood sample to try to tell who the blood is from. So in forensics we don’t tend to test blood groups very much anymore, although they are still very important in some branches of medicine.

    We have different blood groups because of proteins attached to the outside of our red blood cells. These are called antigens, and each blood group has different antigens. There are also other proteins called antibodies that float around in our plasma, which is the liquid part of the blood that all the cells are suspended in. Antibodies are proteins used by the immune system to attach and neutralize foreign objects like bacteria or viruses that might invade our bodies. They are usually very specific and each antigen ‘matches’ or fits particular antigens on the invading objects. Back to blood groups — in general, people of a particular blood group have antibodies in their plasma against most of the other blood groups. This is why it’s very important to know which blood group a person is when they have a blood transfusion. If they receive blood of the wrong blood group, they can have a reaction caused by the antibodies interacting with the antigens.