About
RH factor
About
BloodGroup
About
Genotype
Red blood cells sometimes have another antigen, a protein known as the RhD antigen. If this is present, your blood group is RhD positive. If it's absent, your blood group is RhD negative. This means you can be 1 of 8 blood groups: A RhD positive (A+) A RhD negative (A-) B RhD positive (B+) B RhD negative (B-) O RhD positive (O+) O RhD negative (O-) AB RhD positive (AB+) AB RhD negative (AB-) About 85% of the UK population is RhD positive (36% of the population has O+, the most common type). In most cases, O RhD negative blood (O-) can safely be given to anyone. It's often used in medical emergencies when the blood type is not immediately known. It's safe for most recipients because it does not have any A, B or RhD antigens on the surface of the cells, and is compatible with every other ABO and RhD blood group. Pregnant women are always given a blood group test. This is because if the mother is RhD negative but the child has inherited RhD-positive blood from the father, it could cause complications if left untreated. RhD-negative women of child-bearing age should always only receive RhD-negative blood.
Read morein a broad sense, the term "genotype" refers to the genetic makeup of an organism; in other words, it describes an organism's complete set of genes. In a more narrow sense, the term can be used to refer to the alleles, or variant forms of a gene, that are carried by an organism. what you should know about sickle cell disorder Sickle Cell Disorder, also known as Sickle Cell Anaemia, is a group of disorders that cause red blood cells to become misshapen and break down. It is an inherited group of disorders, where red blood cells contort into a sickle shape and die early, leaving a shortage of healthy red blood cells to convey oxygen throughout the body, blocking blood flow and causing pain to the patient, generally referred to as sickle cell crisis. Normal red blood cells usually live for about 120 days before being replaced, but in patients with Sickle Cell Disease, the cells die in 10 to 20 days, causing a shortage, and without enough red blood cells, the body cannot get enough oxygen, causing pains and fatigue. Normally, the flexible, round red blood cells move easily through blood vessels, but in sickle cell, the red blood cells are shaped like sickles or crescent moons. These rigid, sticky cells can get stucked in small blood vessels, which can slow or block blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body. There’s no cure for most people with sickle cell, but treatments can relieve pain and help to prevent complications associated with the disease, which can last for years or be lifelong, and requires a medical diagnosis such as lab tests or imaging.
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There are 4 main blood groups (types of blood)
– A, B, AB and O . Your blood group
is determined by the genes you inherit from your parents. Each
group can be either RhD positive or RhD negative, which means in
total there are 8 blood groups.
Blood is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells and
platelets in a liquid called plasma. Your blood group is
identified by antibodies and antigens in the blood. Antibodies
are proteins found in plasma. They're part of your body's
natural defences. They recognise foreign substances, such as
germs, and alert your immune system, which destroys them.
Antigens are protein molecules found on the surface of red blood
cells.
There are 4 main blood groups defined by the ABO system:
blood group A – has A antigens on the red blood cells with
anti-B antibodies in the plasma,
blood group B – has B antigens with anti-A antibodies in the
plasma,
blood group O – has no antigens, but both anti-A and anti-B
antibodies in the plasma
blood group AB – has both A and B antigens, but no antibodies
Blood group O is the most common blood group. Almost half of the
UK population (48%) has blood group O. Receiving blood from the
wrong ABO group can be life-threatening. For example, if someone
with group B blood is given group A blood, their anti-A
antibodies will attack the group A cells. This is why group A
blood must never be given to someone who has group B blood and
vice versa. As group O red blood cells do not have any A or B
antigens, it can safely be given to any other group.