ABO Typing: An Experimentation to Determine the Blood Group of an Individual
Renna Mae G. Cariaga
Introduction
The blood of a person is classified by its group, which is determined by the presence
or absence of particular antigens at cell surfaces and particular antibodies in the serum,
among a wide variety of traits or phenotypes. The development of new blood grouping
systems comes with the discovery of new antigens. The ABO system, which divides blood
into groups A, B, AB, and O, is the most widely used (Huet et al., 2018). The term "blood
type" describes a certain pattern of response to testing antisera inside a particular system. Our
study of blood groups has advanced beyond the standard agglutination and transfusion tests
to a deeper understanding of RBC antigens considering their relationship with several
illnesses and the potential application of this knowledge to modify disease processes. Our
blood type is defined by the antigens on the surface of our red blood cells. An individual's red
blood cells have antigens on their surfaces that are specific to their blood type, and their
serum contains antibodies that recognize and bind to the antigen sites on the surfaces of red
cells of other blood types. Antigens on the surface of these red cells are frequently referred to
as agglutinogens because the response between red cells and related antibodies typically
causes the clumping of the red cells (agglutination). Antigens are molecules that assist our
bodies to distinguish between their own cells and potentially hazardous alien cells and are
proteins that trigger our immune system to produce antibodies (Lawler and Berkman, 2022).
An examination known as blood typing is used to determine our blood type or blood
group. Different people have different blood types. There are several distinct blood types,
with some being more prevalent than others. Depending on whether specific compounds are
present, blood is divided into categories. These include antibodies (types of proteins), which
are mostly found in plasma, the liquid portion of our blood, and antigens (types of
carbohydrates and proteins), which are present on the surface of our red blood cells (Mitra et
al., 2014). Moreover, depending on which of these antigens are present in human red blood
cells, the ABO group system is used to classify blood types. Our parents give us the
combination of blood group antigens that we have. Blood may be divided into four main
categories. Type A blood which includes type A antigens, type B blood which contains type
B antigens, type AB blood that has both type A and type B antigens, and type O blood does
not contain either type A or type B antigens (Dean, 2005).
This laboratory activity aims to identify a person's blood type by looking at whether
or not the red blood cells have agglutinogens (antigens) on their surface. For this, a blood
sample that has been mixed with antibodies against type A and type B blood is necessary.
Blood is categorized as type A, B, AB, or O depending on the outcomes of the blood typing.
Materials and Methods
The materials used for this experiment were cotton balls, alcohol, glass slides,
toothpicks, lancets, and anti-A and anti-B serum.
Before the test, I first cleaned my hands with an antiseptic to help prevent infection.
Using a lancet, blood is taken by pricking the finger, and it is placed in a glass slide. The
serum, a liquid component of the blood sample, is then combined with blood known to type
A and B. I then carefully mixed the blood sample with a toothpick and waited a minute to see
the outcome.
A blood sample is tested separately against two laboratory solutions: one containing
antibodies against the A antigen (anti-A) and one containing antibodies against the B antigen
(anti-B). To determine the blood group, red blood cells are combined with a separate
antibody that attacks blood types A and B to examine how they respond. If the blood cells
clump together, it indicates that the sample has interacted with one of the antibodies. If the
blood cells only clump when combined with anti-A serum, we have type A blood; if they
clump when mixed with anti-B serum, we have type B blood. We have type AB blood if we
have both anti-A and anti-B antibodies. Then, if our blood cells don’t clump when mixed
with either anti-A or anti-B antibodies, we have type O blood.
Results and Discussion
The presence or absence of antigens A and B on the surface of red blood cells
determines the four major blood types A, B, AB, and O.
Table 1. Classification of a person’s blood type.
ABO blood type Antigen A Antigen B
A Yes No
B No Yes
AB Yes Yes
O No No
Table 1 presented above shows the possible permutations of antigens with the
corresponding ABO type. In a person's blood, the word "yes" denotes the presence of a
component, and "no" denotes its absence. The samples were analyzed by determining
whether or not the red blood cells stick together by mixing anti-sera that contains antibodies
against type A and B blood.
Table 2. Result of the blood test.
Anti-A Agglutinate
Anti-B No agglutination
Based on the results in table 2, the blood is type A and contains the A antigen
because it clumps in the presence of anti-A but not in the presence of anti-B. According to
Mourant (1954), the existence of two substances or antigens known as A and B on the surface
of red blood cells is required for the ABO groups. These are identified by testing using
particular human sera that have antibodies in solution. The surface features of red blood cells
are altered when they are combined with a serum containing anti-A, causing the cells to stick
to one another. A serum containing anti-B causes comparable reactions in cells that contain
the antigen.
Conclusion
To conclude, the blood sample that is examined is blood type A because it clumps in
the presence of anti-A and not in the presence of anti-B. Agglutination shows that a specific
antibody has interacted with the blood, and the absence of agglutination shows that the blood
lacks the antigens necessary to bind the specific antibody in the reagent.
References
Dean L. (2005). Blood Groups and Red Cell Antigens Bethesda (MD): National Center for
Biotechnology Information (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2261/
Huet M, Cubizolles M, Buhot A. Red Blood Cell Agglutination for Blood Typing Within
Passive Microfluidic Biochips. High-Throughput. 2018; 7(2):10.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ht7020010
Lawler, S. Dorothy, and Berkman, Eugene M. (2022, November 2). Blood Group.
Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/blood-group
Mitra, R., Mishra, N., & Rath, G. P. (2014). Blood groups systems. Indian journal
of anaesthesia, 58(5), 524–528. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5049.144645doi:
10.4103/0019- 5049.144645. PMID: 25535412; PMCID: PMC4260296.
Mourant, A. E. (1954). Blood Grouping. British medical journal, 1(4852), 37–39.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.4852.37
Appendix
I. The materials used are lancets, toothpicks, glass slide, and anti-A and anti-B
serum.
II. Result of blood testing (Type A).
