What Makes up Your Blood

RED BLOOD CELLS (Erythrocytes)

RBCs are the most abundant cells in our blood; they are produced in the bone marrow and contain a protein called hemoglobin that carries oxygen to our cells.

WHITE BLOOD CELLS (Leukocytes)

WBCs are cells of the immune system involved in defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials. They are produced in bone marrow and are found in plasma and lymphatic tissues.

PLATELETS (Thrombocytes)

The clotting factors that are carried in the plasma; they clot together in a process called coagulation to seal a wound and prevent a loss of blood.

PLASMA

This is the yellowish liquid portion of blood that contains electrolytes, nutrients and vitamins, hormones, clotting factors, and proteins such as antibodies to fight infection.

Antigens

An antigen is a protein or sugar marker on a cells surface that causes an immune response. It is an antibody generator.

Antibody

Antibodies are immune system proteins secreted from B-lymphocytes. They recognize self from non-self. In the case of receiving the wrong blood type, they cause blood cells to clump or agglutinate.

Did You Know?

  • The average adult has about five liters of blood inside of their body, which makes up 7-8% of their body weight.
  • Blood is living tissue that acts as a transportation system in our bodies.
  • It fights against infection and helps heal wounds.
  • There are about one billion red blood cells in two to three drops of blood.
  • For every 600 red blood cells, there are about 40 platelets and one white cell.

Genetics of Blood

Your blood type is established before you are born, by specific genes inherited from your parents.

These two genes - one gene from your mother and one from your father - determine your blood type by causing proteins called agglutinogens to exist on the surface of all of your red blood cells.

There are 3 alleles or genes for blood type:

A, B, & O. Since we have 2 genes, there are 6 possible combinations: AA, AO, BB, BO, AB, and OO.

Give the genotype(s) for each blood type.

Type A = ______Type AB = ______

Type B = ______Type O = ______

What is the Rhesus Factor?

A certain blood protein was discovered studying Rhesus monkeys. The presence of the protein, or lack of it, is known as the Rh factor

Rh + Blood Has the protein

Rh - Blood Does not have the protein

Who Can Give You Blood?

People with Type O blood are called universal donors, because they can give blood to any blood type. However, they can only receive Type O.

People with Type AB blood are called universal recipients because they can receive any blood type.

Rh + Can receive + or -

Rh - Can receive -

TYPE DISTRIBUTION RATIOS
O + / 1 person in 3 / 38.4%
O - / 1 person in 15 / 7.7%
A + / 1 person in 3 / 32.3%
A - / 1 person in 16 / 6.5%
B + / 1 person in 12 / 9.4%
B - / 1 person in 67 / 1.7%
AB + / 1 person in 29 / 3.2%
AB - / 1 person in 167 / 0.7%

Frequency of ABO by Ethnicity

O / A / B / AB
Hawaiians / 37 / 61 / 2 / 1
Japanese / 30 / 38 / 22 / 10
Ainu (Japan) / 17 / 32 / 32 / 18
Koreans / 28 / 32 / 31 / 10
Aborigines / 61 / 39 / 0 / 0
Bororo (Brazil) / 100 / 0 / 0 / 0
Peru (Indians) / 100 / 0 / 0 / 0

For more races see:

Activity 1: Typing for ABO and Rh Blood Groups

In this activity, we will be determining blood type using synthetic human blood.

Fig. 1. ABO-Rh Blood Typing Kit (4 blood samples, trays and serum)

A murder weapon was found at the scene of a crime. It has both the victim’s and suspect’s blood, which are different blood types. You will be provided with 4 vials of blood, each one represents a suspect in a murder investigation. Your job is to determine the blood type of each suspect. The instructor knows the blood type found on the murder weapon from the suspect and will let you know at the end of class.

Fig. 2. Tray for blood typing

Place a drop of a suspect’s blood in each well on the tray. Place a drop of the appropriate serum in each well. For example. Place a drop of Serum A in well A, Serum B in well B, Serum D in well D (D represents Rh). Use a clean toothpick and swirl. If it clumps then that is the blood type, e.g., if it clumps in well A it is type A. Use Table 1 below to put your data.

.

Table 1. Blood types of suspects

Suspect / Clumping (+/-) / Antigens (A/B/Rh) / Antibodies
1
2
3
4

Activity 2: Examining Formed Elements

Obtain a human red blood smear and observe under the microscope.

Identify and draw (or photograph) at least 5 types of white blood cells from a red blood cell smear. Use 40X or100X objective.

Neutrophil 40-70% Monocyte 3-8% Basophil (<1%) lymphocyte 20-40% eosinophil 3-8%

Observe slides of Red Blood Cell Diseases

Anemia /