Chapter 5

Blood Typing

A. Answer the following questions orally!

1. Do you know about blood typing?
Answer : Yes I do
2. How many blood types are there?
Answer : 4 types
3. Can you distinguish each of their characteristics?
Answer : Yes I can
4. Is it possible to transfuse one’s blood to the others?
Answer : Yes it is
5. How can you transfuse donor blood to recipient blood?
Answer : Most ABO incompatible transfusions occur as a result of improper patient
identification at the time of collection of the pre-transfusion sample or administration of
the blood product. The pre-transfusion check is carried out at the bedside by 2 members
of clinical staff to ensure the right blood is transfused to the right patient. Positive patient
identification prior to blood sample collection and labelling the specimen tube at the
bedside is critical for accurate sample collection.

B. Read the following passage then answer the following questions!

Blood Type is classification of red blood cells by the presence of specific

substances on their surface. Typing of red blood cells is a prerequisite for blood

transfusion. In the early part of the 20th century, physicians discovered that blood

transfusions often failed because the blood type of the recipient was not compatible with

that of the donor. In 1901 the Austrian pathologist Karl Landsteiner classified blood types

and discovered that they were transmitted by Mendelian heredity.

The four blood types are known as A, B, AB, and O. Blood type A contains red blood

cells that have a substance A on their surface. This type of blood also contains an antibody

directed against substance B, found on the red cells of persons with blood type B. Type B

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 blood contains the reverse combination. Serum of blood type AB contains neither antibody,

but red cells in this type of blood contain both A and B substances. In type O blood, neither

substance is present on the red cells, but the individual is capable of forming antibodies

directed against red cells containing substance A or B. If blood type A is transfused into a

person with B type blood, anti-A antibodies in the recipient will destroy the transfused A red

cells. Because O type blood has neither substance on its red cells, it can be given successfully

to almost any person. Persons with blood type AB have no antibodies and can receive any of

the four types of blood; thus blood types O and AB are called universal donors and universal

recipients, respectively.

Other hereditary blood-group systems have subsequently been discovered. The

hereditary blood constituent called Rh factor is of great importance in obstetrics and blood

transfusions because it creates reactions that can threaten the life of newborn infants. More

than twenty additional blood types have been discovered. Their primary importance is in

legal cases involving proof of paternity.

C. Answer the following question!

1. What is blood type and what does it for?
Answer : Blood Type is classification of red blood cells by the presence of specific
substances on their surface. Typing of red blood cells is a prerequisite for blood
transfusion
2. Who first classified blood types?
Answer : He is Karl Landsteiner
3. How many types is blood classified?
Answer : Four blood types
4. What does blood type A contain?
Answer : Blood type A contains red blood cells that have a substance A and antibody B
5. What does blood type B contain?
Answer : Blood type B contains red blood cells that have a substance B and antibody A

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6. What does blood type AB contain?
Answer : Blood type AB contains neither antibody, but red cells in this type of blood
contain both A and B substances.
7. What does blood type O contain?
Answer : In type O blood, neither substance is present on the red cells, but the individual
is capable of forming antibodies directed against red cells containing substance A or B.
8. Is it compatible if blood type A is transfused into someone with B type blood? Why?
Answer : No it is not, because anti-A antibodies in the recipient will destroy the
transfused A red cells.
9. Is it compatible if blood type B is transfused into someone with blood type A? Why?
Answer : No, it is not, because anti-B antibodies in the recipient will destroy the
transfused B red cells.
10. Is it compatible if blood type AB is transfused into someone with blood type A? Why?
Answer : Yes, it is. Persons with blood type AB have no antibodies and can receive any
of the four types of blood
11. Is it compatible if blood type A is transfused into someone with blood type AB? Why?
Answer : Yes, it is. Because Blood type A have Anti-B aglutinin
12. Is it compatible if blood type AB is transfused into someone with blood type B? Why?
Answer : Yes, it is. Because blood type AB contains agglutinogen type A and type B
13. Is it compatible if blood type B is transfused into someone with blood type AB? Why?
Answer : Yes, it is. Because blood type AB contains A and B antigens
14. Is it compatible if blood type AB is transfused into someone with blood type O? Why?
Answer : No, it is not. Because blood type O didn’t contains A and B antigens.
15. Is it compatible if blood type O is transfused into someone with blood type AB? Why?
Answer : Yes, it is. Because blood type AB contains A and B antigens.
16. Is it compatible if blood type A is transfused into someone with blood type O? Why?
Answer : No, it is not. Because blood type O didn’t contains A antigen
17. Is it compatible if blood type O is transfused into someone with blood type B? Why?
Answer : Yes, it is. Because blood type O contains B antigen
18. Is it compatible if blood type B is transfused into someone with blood type O? Why?
Answer : No, it is not. Because blood type O didn’t contains B antigen

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 19. Why is blood type O called Universal donors while AB called universal recipients?
Answer : Because blood type O has neither substance on its red cells, it can be given
successfully to almost any person. And blood type AB have no antibodies and can receive
any of the four types of blood
20. Why is Rh factor important in obstetrics?
Answer : because Rh factor ist creates reactions that can threaten the life of newborn
infants.

D. Describe the following tables!

A. Blood type characteristics.

Characteristic

Blood type Substance Antibody

A A B

B B A

AB A, B -

O - A, B

1. How is the characteristic of blood type A?

Answer : Blood type A contains red blood cells that have a substance A and antibody
B
2. How is the characteristic of blood type B?
Answer : Blood type B contains red blood cells that have a substance B and antibody
A
3. How is the characteristic of blood type AB?
Answer : Blood type AB contains neither antibody, but red cells in this type of blood
contain both A and B substances.
4. How is the characteristic of blood type O ?
Answer : In type O blood, neither substance is present on the red cells, but the
individual is capable of forming antibodies directed against red cells containing
substance A or B.

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B. Blood compatibility

BLOOD Recipient Note:

+ = agglutinating
TRANSFUSION A B AB O (Incompatible)

– = not agglutinating
A - + - + (Compatible)

B + - - +
Donor
AB + + - +

O - - - -

1. What would happen if each type of donor blood is transfused to same type of
recipient blood?
Answer : it is can be compatible
2. What would happen if each type of donor blood is transfused to different type of
recipient blood?
Answer : it is can be incompatible
3. Why type AB of donor blood can’t be transfused to different type of recipient
blood?
Answer : Because blood type AB have neither anti-A nor anti-B antibodies in
their plasma
4. Why type O of donor blood can be transfused to different type of recipient blood?
Answer : Because blood type O have neither ABO antigens on their surface
5. Give your conclusions!
Answer :
 Type AB of donor blood can’t be transfused to different type of recipient
blood, Because blood type AB have neither anti-A nor anti-B antibodies in
their plasma.
 Type O of donor blood can be transfused to different type of recipient blood.
Because blood type O have neither ABO antigens on their surface