BLOOD GROUPS

In 1901, Austrian physiologist Karl Landstainer discovered the blood groups.

Methods for determining blood groups:

• ABO System • Rh System

ABO system Rh system

Determines Determines

The Presence or absence of

The Presence or absence of

A or B antigen
Rh antigen

On the surface of RBC

On the membrane of RBC
 Based on ABO and Rh system, there are 8 blood groups:

BLOOD Group ANTIGEN BASED ANTIBODY Rh ANTIGEN BASED

ON ABO SYSTEM
Based o
(Produced in
plasma)
ON Rh

A+ve A B Present

A-ve A B Absent

B+ve B A Present

B-ve B A Absent

AB+ve A,B X Present

AB-ve A,B X Absent

O+ve X A,B Present

O-ve X A,B Absent

 Why A+ve patient can’t receive blood from B+ve donor?
RECEIVER DONOR
A+ve A+ve
Antigen A A
Antibody B
Rh Antigen present Present

If a person with A+ blood receives B+ blood, the B antibodies in the A+ blood (Receiver) attack the
donor’s antigen

If it finds similar antigen on the donor’s blood, bind with it. That means the B antibodies in the A+
blood (Receiver) bind the B antigens in the B+ blood (Donor)and Antigen-antibody complex forms.
This is known as agglutination.

Where clumping of RBC occur and this RBC break down after a while that causes anemia.

Also clumped RBCs block blood vessel.As a result organ damage occur because of lack of O2 in the
organs

That causes patient to die

 O-ve is a universal donor?
RECEIVER DONOR
A+ve O-ve
Antigen A X
Antibody B
Rh Antigen present absent

If a person with A+ blood receives O-ve blood, the B antibodies in the A+ blood (Receiver)
attack the donor’s antigen

If it finds similar antigen on the donor’s blood, bind with it. That means the B antibodies in
the A+ blood (Receiver) bind the antigens in the donor’s blood

But here, there is no antigen present in donors blood .So B antibodies of donors blood cant
bind with receivers antigen.

Antigen-antibody complex does not form ,that means no agglutimation reaction.

O+ve is not a universal donor as it cant donate blood to Rh-ve
patients
RECEIVER DONOR
B-ve O+ve
Antigen B X
Antibody A
Rh Antigen absent present
Rh antibody present
If a person with B-ve blood receives O+ve blood, the antibodies in the of receivers blood attack the
donor’s antigen

If it finds similar antigen on the donor’s blood, bind with it. That means the A antibodies in the B-ve
blood (Receiver) bind the antigens in the donor’s blood

Here,at first case, there is no antigen present in donors blood .So A antibodies of donors blood cant
bind with receivers antigen. But since Rh antigen absent ,Rh antibody develops in receivers
blood which can bind with Rh antigen of donor blood

Antigen-antibody complex form ,that means RBC will clump which will breakdown and block the
blood vessel throughout the body. Eventually patient will die because of organ damage which
will occur due to lack of oxygen.
 AB+ve is a universal receiver?
RECEIVER DONOR
AB+ve B+ve
Antigen A,B B
Antibody X
Rh Antigen present present

If a person with AB+ blood receives B-ve blood,generally the antibodies in the AB+ blood
(Receiver) attack the donor’s antigen

If it finds similar antigen on the donor’s blood, bind with it.

But here, there is no antibody present in reciver’s blood to bind with/attack donor’s
antigen.

Antigen-antibody complex does not form ,that means no agglutimation reaction.

Erythroblastosis Fetalis/Hemolytic disease of newborn
Erythroblastosis fetalis, also known as hemolytic disease of the newborn

is a disease in the fetus or newborn which is characterized by high erythroblast

count in fetus.

It is caused by Rh incompatibility in mother’s and fetus’s blood

Rh incompatibility may develop when a woman with Rh-negative blood

conceives a fetus with Rh-positive blood.

This is usually not a problem in first pregnancy as mother’s blood is separate

from that of baby

At birth or after an abortion/miscarriage, if fetus’s blood mixes with mothers

blood,antibody develops in mother’s body
 RECEIVER(Mother) DONOR(baby)
Rh -ve Rh+ve
Antibody Rh antibody develops

In subsequent pregnancy, if mother conceives Rh +ve child , Maternal

antibodies pass through the placenta and enter into the fetus, where it
binds with fetus’s Rh antigen.

an excessive destruction of fetal red blood cells occurs because antigen –

antibody complex form inside fetus’s body.

The baby becomes anemic and hypoxic .The baby's body tries to compensate
for the anemia by releasing immature red blood cells, called erythroblasts,
from the bone marrow.

Severe anemia can lead to heart failure and death