There are four main blood groups (types of blood): A, B, AB and O.

Your blood group is determined by

the genes you inherit from your parents. It is a codominant trait meaning one parent gives each of the
gene that codes for the blood type

On chromosome 9 of the human karyotype there is a gene that codes for the protein found on red
blood cells

Before the protein is attached on the membranes it is modified in the golgi apparatus and a
carbohydrate attachment is made to form a glycoprotein antigens .These antigens can come in two
forms antigen A and antigen B

The main factor that differentiates the blood groups are the presence or absence of the antigen
markers on the surface of the red blood cell These antigens are called agglutinogen. Whenever an
agglutinogen is present antibodies called agglutinin are present in the plasma of the blood

The agglutinin undergo an immunological reaction in which it clumps together with any antigens that is
not present on the surfce of the red blood cell

There are four main blood groups defined by the ABO system:

Blood group A has A antigens on the red blood cells with anti-B antibodies in the plasma

Blood group B has B antigens with anti-A antibodies in the plasma

Blood group O has no antigens, but both anti-A and anti-B antibodies in the plasma

Blood group AB has both A and B antigens, but no antibodies

Another antigen that further divides the blood types are the RH factor also known as Rhesus factor .This
antigen is either present or absent in the red blood cells so blood groups are either Rh positive or Rh
negative. Each group can be either , which means your blood group can be one of the eight types:

A, B, AB, O positive or negative

Like the A and B agglutinogen antibodies are produced by blood that do not contain the Rh factor
Which means blood that is Rh positive can only be donated to another Rh-positive person and

Blood that is Rh-negative can be donated to both Rh positive and negative person

During pregnancy RH in compaitibility is more dangerous than ABO in compaitibility this is because the
antibodies from the ABO blood are of the Immunogloblin class M (IgM) which means they are large and
cannot cross the placental membrane so they are destroyed before entering the blood stream.Rh
antibodies on the other hand is small and can cross the placental membrane easily.

In pregnant mothers that are Rh-ve and have fetuses that are Rh+ve they would create antibodies
thatwould destroy the baby blood cells this condition is known as Rhesus disease also know haemolytic
disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN).