ABO-Rh blood typing with synthetic blood
Bio 202
Lab partners:
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Introduction
The purpose of this experiment was to understand different types of blood and how to tell
blood types apart. In total there are four major blood groups that are determined by the presence
or absence of two antigens which are A and B and are on the surface of red blood cells. There is
also a protein that is called the Rh factor which can be present or absent that makes blood
positive or negative which creates the eight most common blood types which are: A-, A+, B-,
B+, AB-, AB+, O-, and O+ (“Understanding Your Blood Type,” n.d.). The importance of this
experiment was to understand how antibodies and antigens make certain blood types. It is
important to understand the different antibodies and antigens of each blood type in order to know
who can receive blood from certain blood types and who can donate to certain blood types.
It is also extremely important to understand the antigens and antibodies for each blood
type for medical professionals who work with blood and give transfusions to patients. Certain
antibodies in blood types can attack the antigens in another blood types and cause agglutination
which could cause fatal results and harm the patient (“Understanding Your Blood Type,” n.d.).
Agglutination is “the aggregation of red blood cells due to interactions between surface antigens
and plasma antibodies” (Martini 2018, p. 669). If agglutination were to happen during a blood
transfusion it would mean that the antibody or antibodies met their specific surface antigen and
would cause clumping of red blood cells which could “plug small blood vessels in the kidneys,
lungs, heart, or brain damaging and destroying affected tissues” (Martini 2018, p. 669). Since
blood transfusions require using extreme caution when blood typing and cross-matching so that a
patient doesn’t receive a blood type that could harm them this lab experiment was important in
not only learning about the different blood types and their antigens and antibodies but also how
important it is to be cautious when dealing with blood.
Materials and Methods
Materials that were used:
Synthetic blood
Anti-serum for A, B, and Rh
Distilled Water
12 toothpicks
White paper
4 slides with 3 wells on each
For this lab experiment we were given four different synthetic blood types which we
labeled Sample 1, Sample 4, Sample 6, and Sample 7. We used four different slides, one for each
sample and each of the four slides had three wells. The three wells were labeled Rh, B, and A.
We placed a drop of the synthetic blood from sample 1 into each well labeled Rh, B, and A of
the first slide. Next, we added two drops of synthetic anti-A serum into the well labeled A, we
added two drops of synthetic anti-B serum into the well labeled B, and added two drops of
synthetic anti-Rh serum into the well labeled Rh. We then used three unused toothpicks and
stirred each well with a separate toothpick for a total of thirty seconds and examined the mixture
in each well after we were done stirring and recorded what we saw. We repeated this same
process for sample 4, 6, and 7.
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Results
Table 1
Data table for Blood typing
Sample 1
Sample 4
Sample 6
Yes
No
Yes
Anti-A
No
Yes
Yes
Anti-B
Yes
No
No
Rh
A+
BABBlood Type
*Key. Yes = Agglutination
No = No agglutination
Sample 7
No
No
Yes
O+
For Sample 1 there was agglutination in Anti-A and Rh but no agglutination in Anti-B. For
Sample 4 there was agglutination in Anti-B but no agglutination in Anti-A and Rh. For sample 6
there was agglutination in Anti-A and Anti-B but no agglutination in Rh. Lastly, in sample 7
there was agglutination in Rh but no agglutination in Anti-A and Anti-B.
Discussion
The data that we acquired from our lab results led us to be able to determine the blood
type for each of the four samples we were given. With sample 1 we determined there was
agglutination in Anti-A and Rh but no agglutination in Anti-B which meant that A and Rh were
antigens and B was an antibody which led us to determine that sample 1 was A+ blood. In
sample 4 there was agglutination in Anti-B but no agglutination in Anti-A and Rh which meant
that B was an antigen and Rh and A were antibodies which led us to determine that sample 4 was
B- blood. For sample 6 there was agglutination in Anti-A and Anti-B but no agglutination in Rh
which meant that A and B were antigens and Rh was an antibody which led us to determine that
sample 6 was AB- blood. Lastly, for sample 7 there was agglutination in Rh but no agglutination
in Anti-A and Anti-B which meant that Rh was the only antigen and A and B were antibodies
which led us to determine that sample 7 was O+ blood.
After the conclusion of this experiment it was easier to understand what agglutination is
and how it is important in determining different blood types. It also made it easier to understand
that when agglutination occurs in Anti-A, Anti-B, or Rh that means that it is an antigen and is on
the surface of the red blood cell. If no agglutination occurs in Anti-A, Anti-B, or Rh than that
means that it is an antibody which is a protein found in the plasma. Once I was able to determine
what the antibodies and antigens were I from the experiment I was able to easily identify what
blood type it was. In any experiment there could always be a problem that could occur which
would alter the results. In this experiment there were a few ways that the results could have been
altered. One way the results could have been altered was whether or not the person responsible
for stirring the blood and serum stirred too hard or too fast. Another way the results could have
been altered is if there was cross contamination with the toothpicks that were used. Our group
was able to identify what each samples blood type was which meant it was highly unlikely that
anything affected or altered our conclusions of the blood types.
In conclusion this lab experiment was extremely beneficial in learning about different
blood types. I learned how to differentiate between antibodies and antigens according to
agglutination that either happened or did not happen. I learned the difference of where antibodies
are found and where antigens are found and how they affect other blood types. I also learned that
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if the individual receiving blood from someone has the same antibodies as your antigens the
antigens from the donated blood will be attacked by the antibodies in the person receiving blood.
This information is critical in the healthcare setting in quite a few ways. If you are a nurse and
you are giving a blood transfusion it is vital to know what blood type the patient is and what type
of blood the patient can or can’t receive. It is also important in the healthcare setting if you work
in the lab with blood to make sure that it is labeled correctly so that the wrong blood type isn’t
given to a patient that can’t receive that blood type. If the patient receives the wrong blood type
their blood would agglutinate and block blood flow. This is important to me since I am in school
currently trying to pursue my dream of becoming a nurse. I work in the healthcare field currently
as a certified nursing assistant and never understood why blood typing was so important and why
nurses have a huge procedure that they go through before giving a blood transfusion to a patient.
After this experiment I now understand why there is such an extensive procedure to go through
before giving a blood transfusion and the effects that could happen to a patient from giving them
blood that isn’t compatible with their blood type.
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References
Blood Types. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/-blood-types
-.html?adobe_mc_ref=https://www.google.com/&adobe_mc_sdid=SDID=3B9148EFE9B
45369-2470D2181AF33E5B|MCORGID=723A22C757518E2C7F000101@AdobeOrg|T
S=1550706504
Carolina Biological Supply Company. (2003). ABO-RH blood typing with synthetic blood.
Burlington, NC: Author
Martini, F., Nath, J. L., Bartholomew, E. F., Ober, C. E., Welch, K., & Hutchings, R. T.
(2018). Fundamentals of anatomy and physiology. New York: Pearson.
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