actual blood type is determined by the dominant type between the parents during conception.
Children receive alleles – separate sources of genetic code – during conception from each parent. One of the alleles located on chromosome 9 contains the exact type of the donor parent and is classified as A, B, AB, or O. The Rhesus factor also plays a part in determining your blood type, which could be positive or negative.
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How do blood types work?
Blood types A and B are considered codominant, so a child will most likely have an AB blood type if they inherit an A from the mother and a B from the father.
A and B are also both dominant over O, so this results in the child having a type A blood type because the child received an A from the father and an O from the mother.
Only two recessive O genes from both parents result in a child having an O blood type. A universal donor – an O negative blood type – contains nothing that would appear foreign to another’s blood.
In regards to blood infusions, individuals with type A or B positive must not receive the blood of the opposite type. The body’s natural defenses will attack incoming blood cells the same as they would an infection.
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What is my blood type?
Now that you understand how blood types are determined, how do you determine what your blood type is? If you know the blood types of your parents, there are charts that give you an idea of what your blood type is based on the blood types of your parents.
If you are not confident with that method, you can have a simple ABO test performed using specially-treated testing cards at a doctor’s office, pharmacy, or blood donation center.
The testing involves placing a drop of blood on two separate testing circles marked A and B. The cards are already prepped with dried serum containing anti-A and anti-B chemicals.
If the blood reacts to the A circle but not the B circle, the tester’s blood type is A. If the blood reacts to both circles, the tester’s blood type is AB. No reaction to either circle means the tester’s blood type is O.
Blood type donation chart
A blood type donation chart comes in handy at blood banks. Knowing the type of blood recipients can receive from donors, and vice versa, helps when depending on the donations of citizens, making the process safe and pleasant for recipients and donors.