How do blood types differ

You can book an appointment online, or you can call 23 23 to book an appointment. Page last reviewed: 20 April Next review due: 20 April Blood groups.

Antibodies and antigens Blood is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in a liquid called plasma. Antigens are protein molecules found on the surface of red blood cells. The ABO system There are 4 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 Blood group O is the most common blood group.

The Rh system Red blood cells sometimes have another antigen, a protein known as the RhD antigen. Blood group test To work out your blood group, your red cells are mixed with different antibody solutions. Pregnancy Pregnant women are always given a blood group test. Read more about Rhesus disease. Giving blood Most people are able to give blood, but only 1 in 25 people actually do. Approximately 45 percent of Caucasians are type O positive or negative , but 51 percent of African-Americans and 57 percent of Hispanics are type O.

Minority and diverse populations, therefore, play a critical role in meeting the constant need for blood. Types O negative and O positive are in high demand. However, the need for O negative blood is the highest because it is used most often during emergencies. The universal red cell donor has Type O negative blood.

The universal plasma donor has Type AB blood. For more about plasma donation, visit the plasma donation facts. Nearly 21 million blood components are transfused each year in the U. There are more than other known antigens, the presence or absence of which creates " rare blood types.

In , experiments on Rhesus monkeys revealed an additional antigen factors now known as positive or negative "Rh factors. Follow Life's Little Mysteries on Twitter llmysteries. Live Science. Prior to the discovery of blood groups, a transfusion, a now common lifesaving procedure, was a high-stakes process fraught with risk.

Pioneering physician Dr. James Blundell , who worked in London in the early s, gave blood transfusions to 10 of his patients — only half survived. Antibodies recognize any foreign antigens and tell your immune system to destroy them. If a doctor accidentally injected me with type B, my antibodies would reject and work to break down the foreign blood. My blood would clot as a result, disrupt my circulation and cause bleeding and difficulties breathing — and I would potentially die.

But if I received type A or type O blood, I would be fine. Your blood type is also determined by Rh status — an inherited protein found on the surface of red blood cells. Most people are Rh positive, and those people can get blood from negative or positive blood type matches. But people with Rh-negative blood typically should only get Rh-negative red blood cells because your own antibodies may react with the incompatible donor blood cells.