Abo Blood Group Antigens Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Abo Blood Group Antigens?

The Abo blood group antigens are proteins found on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs) that help to identify a person’s blood type. The Abo system is the most important and widely used blood typing system in transfusion medicine, as it determines whether or not a person can receive a particular type of donated blood. It is also used in paternity tests and forensic investigations. There are four main types of antigens in the Abo system A, B, AB, and O with each antigen being associated with one of these four types. Each person’s RBCs carry either one or two of these antigens; if both are present then that person is said to have ‘dual-positive’ status for that antigen type. People with only one type of antigen present on their RBCs have ‘single-positive’ status for that antigen type; those with neither present have ‘negative’ status. The presence or absence of these antigens determines which blood types can be safely received by someone during a transfusion people with single-positive status can receive either their own single-positive type or the dual-positive version, while people with dual-positive status must only receive their own dual-positive type. Those without any Abo antigens cannot receive any donated blood at all without potential complications due to incompatibility between donor and recipient antibodies. In addition to helping determine compatibility for transfusions, knowledge about the Abo system can be useful when determining paternity: different combinations between mother’s and child’s typed results indicate whether or not there is a biological connection between them. It is also useful in forensic investigations involving evidence from bodily fluids such as saliva, urine, semen etc., where testing for the presence of certain Abo antigens can help narrow down suspects by providing further details about their identity such as sex and ethnicity/ancestry. Overall, knowing about the various types of Abo antigens helps ensure safe transfusions as well as provide further information when determining biological connections between individuals or identifying suspects in forensics cases alike; thus making it an essential part of medical science today.