ABO
ABO Blood Group System
Description:
The ABO blood group system is a classification system that categorizes human blood based on the presence or absence of three antigens: A, B, and O. These antigens are present on the surface of red blood cells. The four main blood groups are:
- Type A: Has A antigen
- Type B: Has B antigen
- Type AB: Has both A and B antigens
- Type O: Has neither A nor B antigens
Associated Diseases:
- Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN): This condition occurs when a pregnant woman has a different blood group from her baby. If the baby has A or B antigens and the mother has O blood, her immune system may attack the baby's red blood cells, leading to anemia and jaundice.
- Transfusion reactions: If someone receives a blood transfusion from someone with an incompatible blood type, their immune system can attack the transfused blood cells, causing a transfusion reaction.
Did you Know ?
- The distribution of blood groups varies among different human populations. For example, in Europe, the most common blood group is A (41%), followed by O (37%), B (15%), and AB (7%).
