Blood Group Test: Types, Procedure, Price, Precautions and FAQs
Blood group testing determines a person’s blood type based on the antigens and antibodies present on red blood cells. It is crucial for safe blood transfusions, organ transplants, and clinical diagnosis. This Class 11 Biology topic also carries weightage in NEET and paramedical exams.
This Story also Contains
- What is Blood Group Testing?
- Aim of Blood Group Testing
- Blood Typing and ABO System
- Significance of Blood Typing
- How to Find Out Blood Type at Home?
- Blood Group Test NEET MCQs (With Answers & Explanations)
- Recommended Video on Blood Group Testing
What is Blood Group Testing?
Red, white, and platelet blood cells all make up a human blood cell. All of these blood cells are crucial for regulation, protection, and movement. The red blood cells, or erythrocytes, have antigens and antibodies on their surface that play a significant role in determining which blood group we belong to. A blood transfusion from the incorrect blood type might be fatal.
A, B, AB, and O are the four main blood types. In 1901, Austrian immunologist and biologist Karl Landsteiner made the discovery of the blood grouping system.
Aim of Blood Group Testing
The primary goals of this experiment are to identify the blood type and blood group and to comprehend the fundamental principles of the ABO blood group system.
Supplies needed:
Toothpicks
Blood specimen
Swabs for alcohol
Lancet
Scrub a glass slide
Sanitised cotton swabs
Disposal container for biohazards
Monoclonal agglutinins (Anti-A, B, and D)
Step-by-Step Method (Slide Method)
Draw three circles on a piece of clean glass.
Open the Monoclonal Antibodies (MAB) kit. With the use of a dropper, add Anti-A to the first circle, Anti-B to the second, and Anti-D to the third.
Place the slide carefully aside.
Clean a fingertip with an alcohol swab, where the blood sample will be taken.
With the lancet, the ring fingertip is pricked.
Allow the blood to drip onto the three glass slide circles by gently pressing the fingertip.
Put pressure on the place to stop the blood flow. Use the cotton ball if necessary.
Using a toothpick to gently stir the blood sample, wait a minute to see the outcome.
Blood Typing and ABO System
Human bodies employ proteins and carbohydrates, also known as markers or antigens, to recognise the blood cells as being a part of us. It is possible to determine the blood type by blood typing. Blood transfusions and blood donations can be made without risk if the blood type is known.
Additionally, it checks to determine if your red blood cells have Rh factor on their surface. The presence or absence of specific proteins in your red blood cells determines your blood type. The blood type (or blood group) is determined by the blood types inherited from the parents.
ABO Blood Groups
According to the ABO blood typing system, blood is frequently categorised. There are four main blood types:
Type A
Type B
Type AB
Type O
Rh Factor
Rhesus (Rh) factor can be used to further define it:
Rh-positive: Rh-positive blood if red blood cells have the Rh antigens on their surface.
Rh-negative: Rh-negative blood if red blood cells don't bear the Rh antigens.
Eight Common Blood Types
O negative: This blood type lacks the A or B blood group markers as well as the Rh factor.
O positive: This blood type does have the Rh factor but lacks the A or B markers. One of the two most prevalent blood types is O-positive blood (the other being A-positive).
A negative: This blood type solely has an A marker.
A positive: This blood type lacks the B marker but possesses the A marker and Rh factor. It is one of the two most prevalent blood types, along with O positive.
B negative: This blood type exclusively has the B marker.
B positive: This blood type lacks an A marker but does have a B marker and Rh factor.
AB negative: A and B blood type markers are present, but the Rh factor is absent.
AB positive: All three types of markers—A, B, and Rh factor—are present in this blood type.
Significance of Blood Typing
Before blood donations and transfusions, it is crucial to confirm compatibility because these substances cause the body to respond with immunological responses. For example, the recipient's body will reject the transfusion if the blood of type A is given to someone of blood group B because it will recognise the A-type antigens as foreign substances. Unlike group O, which can only accept the blood of type O, group AB includes and recognises both types of antigens, allowing it to receive blood of any kind.
How to Find Out Blood Type at Home?
Prick your finger with a lancet and place droplets of your blood on a particular card for at-home blood type tests. You will notice where the blood clusters or spreads after applying the blood to the card and then compare those observations to an included guide. Instead of a card, some home testing kits come with vials of fluid for your blood.
Blood Group Test NEET MCQs (With Answers & Explanations)
Important questions asked in NEET from Blood Group System are:
ABO and Rh blood group systems,
Antigen-antibody reactions
Blood transfusion compatibility (donors and acceptors)
Rh factor and its implications for Rh- individuals and Rh+ pregnancies
Practice Questions for NEET
Q1. If no antigen is present on the RBC membrane, the blood group is
A
AB
O
B
Correct answer: 3) O
Explanation:
If there is no antigen present on the RBC membrane, the blood group is O. That is why the O blood group is the universal donor.
Hence, the correct answer is the option 3) O.
Q2. Which of the following blood groups is called a universal donor?
A
O
AB
B
Correct answer: 2) O
Explanation:
Individuals with blood group O can donate blood to individuals with A, B and AB blood groups. Hence, blood group O is called the universal donor
Hence, the correct answer is option 2) O.
Q3. The most popularly known blood grouping is the ABO grouping. It is named ABO and not ABC, because "O" in it refers to having:
Overdominance of this type on the genes for A and B types
One antibody only - either anti-A or anti-B on the RBCs
No antigens A and B on RBCs
Correct answer: 3) No antigens A and B on RBCs
Explanation:
The "O" in the ABO blood group system signifies the absence of A and B antigens on the surface of red blood cells. In this system, Type A blood has A antigens, Type B blood has B antigens, and Type AB blood has both A and B antigens. Type O blood, on the other hand, lacks both A and B antigens. The designation "O" reflects this lack of antigens, while the plasma of Type O blood contains both anti-A and anti-B antibodies.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3) No antigens A and B on RBCs.
Also Read:
Recommended Video on Blood Group Testing
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
People with type O blood have the lowest chance of developing heart disease out of the eight major blood types. The highest risk group includes people with blood types AB and B, which may be due to these blood types' greater rates of inflammation. People with blood types AB and B should pay special attention to maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Austrian scientist Karl Landsteiner found three distinct human blood types, which was the turning point. These belonged to blood categories A, B, and O. In 1930, he received the Nobel Prize in medicine for this discovery.
Because type O + blood is donated to patients more frequently than any other blood type, it is regarded as the blood type that is most in demand.
Blood is categorised by type to assist in minimising adverse reactions when someone receives a blood transfusion. On the surface of red blood cells are markers that identify the cell type.
Blood transfusions and blood donations can be made without risk if you have had your blood typed. Additionally, it checks to determine if your red blood cells have something called Rh factor on their surface. The presence or absence of specific proteins in your red blood cells determines your blood type.