Blood Compatibility Project

Use this project to illustrate blood type compatibility. If the color of the 'blood' changes, it is incompatible. If the color of the 'blood' stays the same, it is compatible

What You Need:

  • 16 cups
  • Red food coloring
  • Blue food coloring
  • Pen or pencil and paper to record data

What You Do:

  1. Fill 16 cups with water.
  1. Put red food coloring in four cups. They will represent Type A blood.
  1. Put blue food coloring in four cups. These will represent Type B blood.
  1. Put blueandred food coloring in four more cups to make a purplish color; this will represent Type AB blood.
  1. Leave only water in the last four cups; this will represent blood Type O.
  1. Pour one of the red “A” blood type cups into another one of the “A” blood type cups. Since the color did not change, blood Type A is compatible for blood transfusions with blood Type A. Once you've recorded that data, put the cup off to the side.
  1. Next, pour another red “A” into a blue type “B” cup. Since the color changed to purple, Type A blood and Type B blood are not compatible. Make a note of this as well.
  1. Then pour a different "A" cup into the purple AB blood type.
  1. Finally, red type A will pour the last cup into type O.
  1. Repeat the steps with type B, AB, and O and record the results.

What Happened:

Blood Type A can only be given to Type A and AB patients. Blood Type B can only be given to Type B and AB patients. Blood Type AB individuals can receive blood from everyone, but can only donate to other AB blood type patients. Blood Type O individuals can only receive Type O blood, but they can donate blood to every other type.

Adapted from Home Science Tools

Blood on Their Hands: Man Dies after Transfusion Mix-up at Coney Island Hospital

Laura Italiano, NY Post

There’s bad blood at Coney Island Hospital — and it’s deadly. A 40-year-old male patient died at the city-run hospital last week after receiving the wrong type blood during a transfusion, The Post has learned.

Transfusions that don’t match a patient’s blood type — giving Type-A to a person who is Type-B, for example — causes the body to attack the new red blood cells, a violent and painful reaction that can lead to shock and a fatal kidney shutdown.

“The blood was mislabeled in the lab. It wasn’t a nursing issue,” said one hospital professional who spoke yesterday on condition of anonymity. “It shouldn’t have happened. It’s just carelessness. It’s a huge problem,” he added.

A source said the fatal error occurred in the hospital’s sixth-floor lab, where blood drawn from patients is screened and “typed.” A technician labeled the patient’s blood as the wrong type, and the patient was given the wrong blood during a transfusion.

Yesterday the lab was shuttered. Blood for Coney Island Hospital patients is now being typed by technicians at Kings County Hospital Center, with the results then phoned in to Coney Island. Coney Island continues to maintain its own stores of banked blood, and surgeries and ER treatment have not been curtailed. Still, emergency-surgery patients are for now all being given Type-O blood, because it can be used universally.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the family . . . We are working with the state to resolve the situation as quickly as possible,” said Ian Michaels, spokesman for the city Health and Hospitals Corporation.

State inspectors are expected to be on site tomorrow, sources said.

“Of course I’m worried about a blood transfusion,” patient Nicole jacobsen, 31, said yesterday.

“They’re all so understaffed here,” she said. “I couldn’t get any attention last week and I overheard someone saying there’s a problem with a patient’s blood transfusion on the fourth floor.”

“I fear for my life at this hospital,” agreed patient Myrtle Irvin, 53.

“I wouldn’t put my dog in here,” she added.

Medical staffers were told of the snafu at a meeting yesterday.

Blood Types

Human blood is grouped into four types: A, B, AB, and O. Each letter refers to a kind of antigen, or protein, on the surface of red blood cells. For example, the surface of red blood cells in Type A blood has antigens known as A-antigens.

The Rh Factor

Each blood type is also grouped by its Rhesus factor, or Rh factor. Blood is either Rh positive (Rh+) or Rh negative (Rh-). About 85% of Americans have Rh+ blood.

Rhesus refers to another type of antigen, or protein, on the surface of red blood cells. The name Rhesus comes from Rhesus monkeys, in which the protein was discovered.

Blood Transfusions

Blood types become very important when a blood transfusion is necessary. In a blood transfusion, a patient must receive a blood type that is compatible with his or her own blood type—that is, the donated blood must be accepted by the patient's own blood. If the blood types are not compatible, red blood cells will clump together, making clots that can block blood vessels and cause death.

Type O– blood is considered the “universal donor” because it can be donated to people of any blood type. Type AB+ blood is considered the “universal recipient” because people with this type can receive any blood type.

Blood type / Percent of Americans with this type / Who can receive this type
O+ / 37% / O+, A+, B+, AB+
O– / 6 / All blood types
A+ / 34 / A+, AB+
A– / 6 / A+, A–, AB+, AB–
B+ / 10 / B+, AB+
B– / 2 / B+, B–, AB+, AB–
AB+ / 4 / AB+
AB– / 1 / AB+, AB–

Did You Know?

  • Blood type is inherited, just like eye color.
  • Different kinds of animals have different kinds of blood. Dogs have 4 blood types; cats have 11; cows have about 800.
  • Some people think blood type tells about personality. Legend has it that Type A is calm and trustworthy; Type B is creative and excitable; Type AB is thoughtful and emotional; and Type O is a confident leader.
  • In Japan, the idea of blood type as personality type is so popular that Japanese ask “What's your blood type?” about as often as Americans ask “What's your sign?”

Source: Information Please

Blood Type Compatibility Results

If the blood changes color, put ⌂ in the box

If the blood does not change color, put X in the box

Blood Type / Recipient A / Recipient B / Recipient AB / Recipient O
Donor A
Donor B
Donor AB
Donor O

Blood Type Compatibility Results – Answer Key

If the blood changes color, put ⌂ in the box

If the blood does not change color, put X in the box

Blood Type / Recipient A / Recipient B / Recipient AB / Recipient O
Donor A / x / ⌂ / x / ⌂
Donor B / ⌂ / x / x / ⌂
Donor AB / ⌂ / ⌂ / x / ⌂
Donor O / x / x / x / x