What is Blood Made Of?
•Red Blood Cells
•White Blood Cells
•Plasma
•Platelets
Erythrocytes
 Erythro: red
 Cytes: cells
 Transport oxygen
 Carry away carbon dioxide
 No nucleus
Leukocytes
 Leuko: white
 Cytes: cells
 Important aspect of immune system
 “Eat” bacteria and other foreign substances
 Formed from stem cells in bone marrow
Plasma
 Mostly water
 Proteins, electrolytes, hormones, and
clotting factors
 Proteins used to fight infection
 Provides means of transportation for the
other blood cells
Thrombocytes
 Thrombo: blood clotting
 Cyte: cell
 Sticky, have irregular shape
 Form blood clots
 No nucleus
 Formed in bone marrow
History of Blood Typing
 1900-1901
 Karl Landsteiner of Austria
 Noted agglutination of patients’ red blood cells when
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they received serum from someone else
 Determined this was due to red blood cell antigens
and serum antiobodies
A blood group and B blood group
O for “ohne”
AB blood group
1910: Blood type is inherited
The ABO Blood Group System
 Group A – has only the A antigen on red cells (and B antibody in the plasma)
 Group B – has only the B antigen on red cells (and A antibody in the plasma)
 Group AB – has both A and B antigens on red cells (but neither A nor B
antibody in the plasma)
 Group O – has neither A nor B antigens on red cells (but both A and B
antibody are in the plasma)
 http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/blood-typesm
Rh Factor
 Another antigen found on red blood cells is
the Rh factor
 If present, indicated as (+)
 If not present, indicated as (-)
 Example:
 A+
 A antigens on red blood cells, B
antibodies in plasma, Rh factor present
OK, So What Are Antigens?
 Antigens cause immune response
 Red blood cells have millions of antigens
 These recognized and ignored by body’s
immune system
 When red blood cells with unfamiliar antigens
enter body, immune system attacks it
Blood Type is Inherited
 A, B, AB, O determined by a sugar
 Rh (+) or (-) determined by a protein
 DNA determines the sugars and proteins your body
produces
 DNA is inherited
Phenotype
Genotype
A
AA or AO
B
BB or BO
AB
AB
O
OO
Determining Blood Type
 Simple test
 Drop of blood combined with an anti-A chemical and
anti-B chemical
 If reacts with anti-A, blood is type A
 If reacts with anti-B, blood is type B
 If reacts with both, blood is AB
 If no reaction, blood is type O
 Similar test for Rh factor
 If blood clots, Rh (+)
 If no clot, Rh (-)
Who Gets What?
 Group A  Group A or Group AB
 Group B  Group B or Group AB
 Group O  All blood groups
 Universal donor
 Group AB  Only Group AB
 Universal acceptor
Donor
Recipient
O
O
A
A
B
B
AB
AB