Download Reference Page and Training Lab

Name _____________________________________
Subject __________________, Period ____ Teacher __________________
Texas High School
Date ____________
Reference Page and Training Lab – That’s My Baby
Background: Red blood cells (Erythrocytes) are in all of us, continuously flowing through our
arteries and veins, carrying oxygen to our cells for respiration. Your red blood cells look and work
just like every other person’s red blood cells. However, there is ONE important difference between
your red blood cells and everyone else’s. This important difference is found on the cell membrane
of the red blood cells and is know as blood type.
1. You will be trained to understand what a blood type is and how you inherited your blood
type from your parents.
2. You will be trained to use antibodies to identify an unknown blood type.
Part I – What Is a Blood Type?
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There are FOUR blood types that you can be – either A, B, AB, or O.
Blood types come from the cell membrane of your red blood cells.
Red blood cells have protein molecules stuck in their cell membranes.
There are TWO kinds of proteins that can be stuck in the cell membranes of red blood cells
– A proteins or B proteins.
Type A blood cells have A proteins stuck in their membranes.
Type B blood cells have B proteins stuck in their membranes.
Type AB blood cells have both A proteins and B proteins stuck in theirmembranes.
Type O blood cells are missing proteins and have neither A or B proteins stuck in their
membranes.
Red blood cells can also contain another protein on their cell membranes. This protein is
called the Rh factor protein.
Rh+ blood cells have Rh proteins stuck in their membranes.
Rh- blood cells do not have any Rh proteins stuck in their membranes.
BLOOD TYPE SUMMARY – write out the complete blood type for each of the red blood cells
drawn below (each circle below is a red blood cell).
A = A proteins present
B = B proteins present
Rh = Rh proteins present
Part 2 – The All Important Antibody/Antigen Story
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 There are special chemicals in humans called Antibodies. + + +
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 Antibodies are made by our immune system to fight off diseases (viruses/bacteria) and other
small foreign objects that get in our bodies and might hurt us. All of these potentially
harmful foreign objects are called Antigens.
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When an antibody is placed with an antigen, the antibody attacks by “grabbing” all of the
antigens and holding them together in a large clump. This clumping helps our bodies get rid
of these potentially harmful antigens!
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The clumping of antigens when antibodies attack is called Agglutination.
Antibodies are very specific. An antibody that attacks a flu virus antigen will not attack a
cold virus antigen. Our bodies can make hundreds of kinds of antibodies.
Part 3 – I Know I’ve Got Red Blood Cells, But What’s My Blood Type?
 There are three special kinds of antibodies that can be collected from humans and stored in
bottles: Antibody A Antibody B Antibody Rh
 Antibody A will attack and clump up (agglutinate) red blood cells that have A proteins on
their cell membranes.
 Antibody B will attack and clump up (agglutinate) red blood cells that have B proteins on
their cell membranes.
 Antibody Rh will attack and clump up (agglutinate) red blood cells that have Rh proteins on
their cell membranes.
 Does this stuff have anything to do with finding my blood type? YES!
Part 4 – It’s Finally Time – How To Determine Blood Type!
1. In the front of the room is a blood sample of unknown blood type. Get three glass slides and
place one drop of blood on each.
2. Add one drop of Antibody A to one of the drops of blood and stir it together with a toothpick for
15 seconds spreading the mixture out to the size of a nickel. Let it set for 2 minutes, then stir
again for 15 seconds. Look for agglutination (you may need to tilt the slide back and forth to see
it). If you see agglutination, then you know the red blood cells have A proteins on their
membranes.
3. Add a drop of Antibody B to the second drop of blood and stir it as described in step #2 above. If
you see agglutination, then you know the red blood cells have B proteins on their membranes.
4. Add a drop of Antibody Rh to the third drop of blood and stir it as described in step #2 above. If
you see agglutination, then you know the red blood cells have Rh proteins on their membranes.
5. From this information, and your knowledge about blood cells, you can now determine the blood
type of your patient!! Record the blood type of the tested blood sample on the Question Page –
Question #1.
Part 5 – How Did You Get Your Blood Type?
 Your blood type is determined by what blood type genes you inherited from your parents.
 All of your genes (including blood type) occur in pairs. You get ½ of each gen pair from
your mother and the other ½ of each gene pair from your father.
Example 1 – Your mother gives you a gene to make A proteins on your red blood cells. Your
father gives you a gene to make A proteins on your red blood cells. Your gene pair
= AA. Your blood type = A
Example 2 – Your mother gives you a gene to make A proteins on your red blood cells. Your
father gives you a gene to make B proteins on your red blood cells. Your gene pair
= AB. Your blood type = AB
Example 3 - Your mother gives you a gene to make NO proteins (type O) on your red blood
cells. Your father gives you a gene to make A proteins on your red blood cells.
Your gene pair = AO. Your blood type = A
 If you have an AO gene pair (type A blood) and you have a baby, you will give your baby
ONLY ONE of your blood type genes – either a gene for A proteins or a gene for no
proteins (O) – NOT BOTH!!
 You have an AO gene pair (type A blood) and your spouse has a BB gene pair (type B
blood). If the two of you have a baby together it could be born with one of TWO possible
blood types. Either type AB blood (from AB gene pair) or type B blood (form BO gene
pair).