ABO Blood Group and Rh Group System – Imaluop

In human blood all components like erythrocytes, leucocytes, platelets, different protein, electrolyte, plasma are the same in all human beings but there are some factors which make different grouping in blood. And those groups are very important in clinical aspects because all blood groups are not compatible for all persons so we need to be aware of different grouping systems in blood like ABO blood group and Rh group system.

The ABO group and Rh group system is only two grouping systems, there are many other blood grouping systems but they are not so important clinically so they are not necessarily to understand but this two grouping system is very important.  

When different blood groups were unknown to us many cases occurred when after transfusion of blood different difficulties appeared and sometimes it caused death.

Because then scientists think that all human beings have the same type of blood and different factors in blood were unknown so when transfusion was required it was completely uncertain about the results.

But after discovering the blood group now it is safe for blood transfusion and we can avoid complications during blood transfusion by checking the compatibility before blood transfusion. 

ABO Blood Grouping System:  

This is a very important blood grouping system which was discovered by Karl Landsteiner who performed the research by mixing blood from different people. He found that certain types of blood show clot with certain types of blood and he divided the blood into four different groups depending on the agglutination and this discovery made him win the Nobel prize. 

Karl Landsteiner noticed two special proteins on the plasma membrane of RBC and some antibodies present in plasma are responsible for the complications during blood transfusion.

He named the two antigen as Antigen A and antigen B, among the two antigen only one can present on RBC or both two antigen or both remain absent on the plasma membrane of RBC. Depending upon their presence or absence blood are four types – when only antigen A is present the group is known as A blood group, when only antigen B present then it is B blood group, when both the antigen present is known as AB blood group and when none of them present is known as O blood group.

In plasma there are two antibody according to the antigen present on RBC, for example in A blood group blood plasma have only antibody ‘b’, in B blood group the antibody in plasma is ‘a’, in case of O blood group antibody in blood plasma is both ‘a’ and ‘b’ while in case of AB blood group no antibody is present.  

The reaction between antigen and antibody causes agglutination so we should always check the blood group of donor and recipient and check their compatibility before blood transfusion to avoid agglutination reaction.  

Universal Donor: 

Agglutination reaction occurs due to presence of antibody in blood plasma which react with the antigen present on the RBC but in case of O blood group no antigen present on the RBC so there are no chance of agglutination and in any blood group when it mix agglutination not occur so they are called universal donor. 

Universal Recipient: 

In AB blood group no antibody present in blood plasma so when blood cells of any groups enter into the blood agglutination do not occur so they are known as universal recipients because they can receive blood from any groups. 

Rh Group System: 

When ABO blood grouping was known to us but yet sometimes blood agglutination occurs then scientists start researching on the reason of agglutination after matching the compatibility according to ABO blood grouping system. Then scientists find a new antigen which is known as Rh factor or Rh antigen which creates a new grouping system known as Rh grouping system.

ABO Blood Group and Rh Group System
ABO Blood Group and Rh Group System

When the Rh antigen present then it is called Rh positive and when Rh antigen absent then it is known as Rh negative and in case of Rh negative blood a Rh antibody produced so mixing of Rh positive and Rh negative blood cause antigen antibody reaction and cause blood agglutination. 

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