Question

What the method and results of blood grouping and blood typing experiment.

Answer 1

Blood typing:

The method of determining the type of blood group an individual possess is called as blood typing. ABO blood typing system is the commonly used to group the blood samples. There are in general 4 types of blood grou namely type A,B,AB and O. The blood grouping test is based on the principle of agglutination or clumping. The red blood cells consists of antigens A and B which are glycoproteins. The blood type A consists of A antigen on the RBC while contains B antibody in the blood plasma, B consists of B antigen on the surface of RBC and contains A antibody in the plasma , AB blood type contains both antigens and no antibodies on the blood plasma while O blood type does not contain any antigen but contains both the antibodies in the plasma.

Another surface protein known as Rh (Rhesus) factor is also found on the surface of RBC of most people. Those who lack the antigen on the surface of RBCs are called Rh- have no antibodies against the Rh antigen in their blood plasma while those with the presence of this factor are known as Rh+ have antibodies against it in their blood plasma.

For testing the blood type of an individual, monoclonal antibodies are available for A, B and Rh antigen. Antibody against Antigen A is called Anti-A which is blue in colour. Anti-B (antibody against B antigen) comes in yellow colour. While Anti-D (antibody against Rh) is colourless. These are the universal standards of colour codes. When the monoclonal antibodies suspension is  added to the blood sample then if the RBCs possess the  corresponding Antigen then agglutination will occur and clumps can be observed. So the blood typing is done in a way: