Blood Typing Blood type is based on the

Blood Typing

Blood type is based on the presence or absence of 2 kinds of antigens on the surface of red blood cells. In our plasma, there can be antibodies against these antigens.

Type A Blood Red Cells Type A Antigen Plasma Anti-B Antibodies

Type B Blood Red Cells Type B Antigen Plasma Anti-A Antibodies

Type AB Blood Red Cells Plasma Neither Anti-A or Anti-B Antibodies Type A Antigen Type B Antigen

Type O Blood Red Cells Neither A nor B Antigens Plasma Anti-A and Anti. B Antibodies

The Rh factor is caused by a different antigen than the A and B ones. Red Cells with Rh antigens Rh positive (+) No Rh antibodies in plasms

The Rh factor is caused by a different antigen than the A and B ones. Red Cells without Rh antigens Rh negative (-) Rh antibodies in plasma

Blood Typing works by taking the antibodies for each blood type and mixing them with a drop of blood. Each drop of blood would be mixed with a different anti-serum (anti-A, anti-B and anti-Rh.

Blood Typing If we mix Anti- A serum with type A blood there will be clumping of RBC’s as the antibodies latch on the antigens. Anti-A serum antibody Type A Cells

Type A Red Cell Anti-B serum antibody No clumping with Anti-B Antiserum

Type B blood in Anti-A antiserum Type A blood in Anti-A antiserum. Clumping The clumping can be easily seen on a slide.

Now watch what happens as each blood type is typed with an anti-serum.

Blood Typing 1. Add a drop of Anti-A serum to one end a drop of anti-B serum to the other end of a microscope slide. 2. Mix a drop of blood with each. Clumping Type A Blood Anti-A Anti-B

Blood Typing Clumping Type B Blood Anti-A Anti-B

Blood Typing Clumping Type AB Blood Anti-A Anti-B

Blood Typing No Clumping Type O Blood Anti-A Anti-B

Blood Typing Rh positive Blood Rh negative Blood Anti-R Clumping Anti-Rh

Pictures of what actual slides would look like after addition of the antiserums

Transfusion Reactions • Donor cell agglutination [Anti-A antibodies in plasma of recipient cause agglutinatioin of donor (type A) red cells. ] • Hemolysis (Antigen-antibody reactions activate complement which lyses donor red cells. Clumped cells are phagocytized. ) • Hb released from lysed red cells precipitates in kidney tubules - causes kidney shutdown.