Significance
Blood typing was developed chiefly for transfusion medicine---the specialized branch of hematology that studies blood groups. The main purpose of studying different blood groups is to provide blood transfusion services and blood products to those in need. Blood transfusion is a matter of life and death. When a recipient receives an incompatible blood type, severe reactions will occur on the body that would lead to Hemolysis, or the destruction of the red blood cells, renal failure, shock, and eventually, death.
Different Blood Types
Blood types are determined through the molecules attached to the surface of the red blood cells. These molecules are called agglutinogens. There are two types of agglutinogens---type A and type B. The absence of agglutinogens on the red blood cell is considered blood type O. This classification of blood type is called the ABO blood type classification system. Blood types are also classified based on the presence or absence of the Rh protein. If Rh protein is found on the surface of the red blood cells, the blood type is positive, otherwise, it is negative. Hence, the blood types, A+, A-, B+, B-.
How Blood Types are Determined
To determine the blood type of a person, the process of cross-matching has to be performed. This process involves mixing the blood sample of a recipient to that of the donor to check if the mixture will agglutinate or coagulate. Bodies containing blood type O, are those which do not possess agglutinogens in the red blood cells are universal donors. This means that whatever blood type a recipient has, his or her body would not take the type O blood as a foreign body, thus, he or she would not be immune to it. On the other hand, if the recipient is type AB, he or she can recognize either, type A or type B blood since no antibody will prevent either of the two from entering the person's bloodstream.
Effects of Blood Types
Distinctions in blood types may cause various implications on a person's body. A pregnant woman containing different agglutinogens from that of the fetus may compromise the pregnancy if the red blood cells of the fetus happen to enter the mother's bloodstream. Susceptibility to diseases can also be attributed to blood types. It was discovered that most of the victims of the plague in England in 1665 were people who have type B blood. This happened because the antibodies attached to the red blood cells of those with type B were the same as that of the bacteria that caused the plague. Because of this, the capacity of the body to immune itself from the bacteria was hampered since the body would not produce an antibody that would hurt its own.
Considerations
Those with blood type negative Rhd should take caution before traveling, or migrating to certain locations--especially East Asia, due to the rarity of this blood in certain regions. The theory of blood type nutrition suggests a person's blood type affects how the body absorbs and breaks down nutrients from various food types. It is also believed that eating foods compatible with your blood type will reduce the risk of certain diseases and produce a healthier feel.
Tags: blood type, blood cells, type blood, agglutinogens blood, blood groups