Name ______________________
Period ____________
text analysis:
BLOOD BASICS + BLOOD TYPING
BLOOD BASICS
1. What are the 4
components of blood?
Blood is a specialized body fluid that has four main components:
1. Plasma
2. Red blood cells
3. White blood cells
4. Platelets
Plasma, red blood
cells, white blood
cells, platelets
Blood has many different functions, including:
1. Regulating body temperature
2. Transporting oxygen and nutrients to the lungs and tissues
3. Forming blood clots to prevent excess blood loss
4. Carrying cells and antibodies that fight infection
5. Bringing waste products to the kidneys and liver, which filter and clean the
blood
Regulating body
temperature&transporting
oxygen/nutrients across
the body
The blood that runs through the veins, arteries, and capillaries is known as
whole blood, a mixture of about 55 percent plasma and 45 percent blood cells.
About 7 to 8% of your total body weight is blood. An average-sized man has
about 12 pints of blood in his body, and an average-sized woman has about
nine pints.
BLOOD TYPES
There are four major blood groups: A, B, AB and O and are passed down
through genetics. Blood groups are based on red blood cell antigens, which are
proteins on the cell surface that are recognized by a person’s immune system.
Group A has one type of antigen (A), Group B has a different type (B), Group
AB has both A and B antigens, and Group O does not have either antigen. These
blood groups are further divided by whether or not an antigen called the Rh
factor is present on the person’s blood cells. If it is present, that person’s
blood is Rh positive (+); if not, the blood is Rh negative (-). Combining Rh factor
with the four major blood types results in eight different main blood types
(for example, AB-).
2. Name 2 different
functions of blood.
3. What does it mean by
whole blood?
All the blood that is
running through your
body
4. How many pints of
blood does an average
person have?
The average man has
12 and a woman has
9 pints.
5. What are the 4 major
blood types?
A, AB, B, and O
6. List the antigens
present on the red
blood cells for the
major blood types.
A and B antigens
7. How are the blood
groups further broken
down to create 8
different blood
types?
.
The Rh factor
which can be
negative or positive
ANTIBODIES IN BLOOD
In addition to the major blood types, there are minor blood groups.
An individual of a certain blood type will develop antibodies against the antigens
that they don’t have. For example, a Blood Group A individual has no B antigens
on their red blood cells; therefore, this person’s white blood cells will make
antibodies against the B antigen (anti-B) that will be present in their plasma.
In transfusion medicine, it is very important that patients receive red blood
cells that are compatible with their blood type. It is also important that
plasma recipients are not transfused with plasma that contains antibodies that
will destroy their red blood cells.
Blood types can be determined quickly by mixing a few drops of someone’s
blood with anti-A, anti-B or anti-Rh antibodies and seeing which antibodies
make the red blood cells clump together. This clumping happens when the
antibodies match the antigens present on the red blood cells; for example, if
someone’s blood clumps with anti-A but not with anti-B antibodies, this shows
that the blood has A (but not B) antigens, making that person type A. In
transfusion medicine, sophisticated assays are used to appropriately type the
blood of the donor and of the patient.
ANTIGENS IN BLOOD
Blood group antigens are carbohydrates that are attached to proteins or lipids.
An antigen is a substance foreign to the body that causes an immune
response. An immune response occurs when antibodies, which are proteins in
your immune system, are summoned to attack an antigen.
- When you say you are blood type A, what you are telling people is that the
cells in your body make antibodies only to type B antigens. The A-type
surface antigens on the cells are not recognized. These surface antigens can
be attached to the surface of your blood cells (more specifically to the
plasma membrane surrounding the cells) or to proteins or lipids anywhere in
your body.
That means that your body makes antibodies against type B antigens. (If your
blood type is positive or negative, that refers to the Rh factor.) So, in essence,
your body kills off the cells containing type B antigens, allowing type A to be
dominant. You can receive type A blood or type O blood and can donate blood to
those with type A or type AB.
- If you are blood type B, the situation is reversed. Your cells have type B
antigens attached, so your body makes antibodies against only type A. Once
the type A antigens are kept at bay, your blood cells “show” type B as the
dominant type. You can receive type B or type O blood, and you can donate
to those with type B or type AB blood.
- If you are blood type AB, your cells do not make antibodies against type A
or type B surface antigens. Therefore, you can receive blood from a donor
with any blood type (universal recipient), but you can donate blood only to
other people with type AB blood.
- If you are blood type O, your cells make antibodies against both type A and
type B antigens. This means that if you need blood, you can only receive
more type O blood. But, you can donate your blood to anybody; thus, you are
a universal donor. Type O blood is the most common.
8. What is the role of
the white blood cells
in terms of antibodies
in Blood Type A blood?
The white blood cells
will make antibodies
against the B antigen
9. What causes the
clumping of the blood
when testing for
blood type?
The cells will clump
when the antibodies
match the antigens
10. What does it mean if
an unknown blood
sample “clumps”
when exposed to
Anti-A?
That person has type
A blood b/c they have
A antigens
11. What are antigens?
The are
carbohydrates that
are attached to
proteins or lipids
12. What does it mean
when you are Blood
Type B?
Your cells have B
antigens and they
make A antibodies
13. What blood type can
people donate to who
have Blood Type B?
Type B and O can
donate to type B
14. Why is AB blood
unique?
Its a universal receiver;
means all types can
donate to them
15. How is O blood unique?
Its a universal donor;
means it can donate
to all types
MINI WEBQUEST FOLLOW-UP
Go to bit.ly/bloodtypes1 and fill in the prompts below.
Move down to the section of the page with the test tubes of the different blood types. Scroll your mouse
over the different types and draw each 4 blood types in the test tubes below.
A
B
A B
A
B
B
A
Explain what the drawings above mean in terms of ANTIBODIES and ANTIGENS.
_______________________________________________________________________________
There are A or B antigen in the blood and the blood will have the opposite antibody
_______________________________________________________________________________
Draw a line connecting the blood transfusion bag to the blood types they can be donated to.
O
A
O
B
A
B
AB
AB
O
Which blood type is the universal donor? ___________
Which is the blood type that can only accept one blood type? ___________
O
Why is this (IN TERMS OF ANITBODIES + ANTIGENS)? _____________________________________
It has both A and B antigens so it can’t accept other blood types
______________________________________________________________________________
MINI WEBQUEST FOLLOW-UP
Go to bit.ly/bloodtypes1 and fill in the prompts below.
Fill in the blanks.
Common blood type. Different ethnic and __________
Racial
O positive is the most __________
groups have different
Averages
Causasians are
__________ of the main blood types in their populations. Approximately 45 percent of __________
51
type O, but ______
percent of African-Americans and 57 percent of Hispanics are type O.
High
Type O is routinely in short supply and in ________
demand by hospitals – both because it is the most
Negative
Highest blood type
common blood type and because type O ____________
blood, in particular, is the __________
needed for emergency _______________.
Minority
and
diverse
populations,
therefore,
play a critical role in
Transfusions
meeting the constant need for blood.
Click on the different blood types to see the different percentages throughout the US and answer the
questions below.
What is the least common blood type for the following racial groups in the US:
CAUCASIAN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN
LATINO-AMERICAN
AB-
AB-
AB-
ASIAN
AB-
How does your blood type get determined?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Its inherited based o your parents blood types
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Click on view all child pairings on the bottom of the screen. Put check marks next to the blood types the
parents can pass on to their offspring.
PARENT 1
AB
AB
AB
AB
B
A
A
O
O
O
PARENT 2
AB
B
A
O
B
B
A
B
A
O
O
Possi
-ble
blood
type
of
the
child
A
B
AB