Facts About Blood Types

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Blood is one of the most important elements that keep the body in a working state. So the amount of blood required by the body must be available in the right amount to stay alive and fit. As there are different kinds of people with various shapes and sizes, blood types also vary from one person to another.

Fact 1
The vast majority of blood types fall into one of the main ABO groups. However, there may be a few people who have a different group. Blood is actually inherited and so often the same type is found among people of the same family. Like color of the eyes, blood is genetically passed from parents to children. The common blood types are A, B, AB and O which is based on the blood types of the parents.

Fact 1 Analysis Of Blood
Blood type cannot be determined by the naked eyes. A person’s blood is analyzed under a microscope to find out the blood differences. An Austrian scientist named Karl Landsteiner, in the early 20th century classified blood according to the differences that he found in the chemical molecules present on the surface of red blood cells.

Fact 2 Types Of Blood
There are 4 major blood groups. It is determined by the presence or absence of two antigens namely A and B on the surface of red blood cells:

  1. Group A has only the A antigen
  2. .Group B has only the B antigen.
  3. Group AB has both A and B antigens on red cells.
  4. Group O has neither A nor B antigens

There are eight different common blood types, which are categorized according to the presence or absence of certain antigens. These antigens are responsible for triggering a patient’s immune system and so safe blood transfusion is possible when careful blood typing and cross matching is done. There is a third antigen in blood known as Rh factor. This antigen is found in most people. Those who have the Rh factor are said to be Rh positive (+) and vice versa, i.e. those without it are Rh negative (-). This factor is not a single antigen, but consists of others too among which D antigen is one antigen which can be detected easily.

Fact 3 Composition Of Blood
Blood cells are composed of red cells, white cells and platelets that are suspended in plasma. Red cells or erythrocytes carry oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues and takes back carbon dioxide back to the lungs. The Plateletes are cell fragments that interact with clotting proteins to stop bleeding. Plasma is a fluid that is a combination of proteins, vitamins, fats, hormones, minerals and salts.

Fact 4 Finding Out Blood Group
It is not very difficult to find out blood type of individuals. A few drops of blood is tested with serums containing A- antibodies and another serum of anti-B antibodies. The occurrence of agglutination determines the blood type. It is a simple elimination process which must be done by all individuals to know his/her blood type especially for emergency reasons. Food habits depend on blood type also. Those with type A blood prefer vegetarian foods while B blood types can digest lean meat etc.

Fact 5 Personality Depends On Blood Types
According to legend, blood types portray your personality, temperament, compatibility etc and even foods good for each type. The common traits found are:

Type A – calm and trustworthy;

Type B – creative and excitable;

Type AB – thoughtful and emotional;

Type O – a confident leader.

Fact 6 One Donation Helps Multiple People
When people donate blood, up to 4 components can be derived and each one is utilized to treat different patients according to their requirements.

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