Blood Types and Genetic Inheritance

This page discusses the genetics of blood types and their inheritance patterns.

The ABO blood type system is determined by a single gene with three alleles: Iª, I^B, and i. These alleles result in four blood types: A, B, AB, and O. The inheritance of blood types follows specific patterns based on the combination of alleles from both parents.

Definition: Alleles are different forms of the same gene.

Example: In a scenario where the husband has blood type AB (I^AI^B) and the wife has blood type A (Iªi) with a blood type O mother, there is a 25% chance their child will have blood type B.

Highlight: The ABO blood type system demonstrates multiple alleles, where one gene has three or more forms, resulting in six possible genotypes and four phenotypes.

Blood Transfusions and Compatibility

This page explains blood type compatibility for transfusions and the importance of matching donor and recipient blood types.

Blood transfusions require careful matching of blood types to prevent adverse reactions. The compatibility is based on the presence of antigens on red blood cells and antibodies in the plasma.

Key points:

• Type O is the universal donor
• Type AB is the universal recipient
• Incompatible transfusions can cause agglutination (clumping of blood cells)

Vocabulary: Agglutination - The clumping of organisms or cells, in this case, red blood cells, due to an immune response.

Highlight: The transfusion rule states that the plasma of the patient must be compatible with the red blood cells of the donor to prevent adverse reactions.