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Blood is the fuel that your body runs on. Many people need blood transfusions for different reasons. Red blood cells, plasma and platelets are always in demand as these can help treat many people with diverse medical conditions. In India, the demand for blood requires almost 40,000 donations each day. This blood is used in the treatment of many diseases including cancer, sickle cell disease, anemia, pregnancy complications, trauma patients and surgeries. As we celebrate World Blood Donor Day on June 14, let us know about blood matches and blood types. The purpose of this day is to day to raise awareness about the global need for safe blood and how everyone can contribute.
On this World Blood Donor Day , we tell you all about the different types of blood and their matches.
Your blood type depends on the genes that you inherit from your parents. There are many methods of grouping blood, but ABO is the best-known among these. There are four categories within the ABO group. These are A, B, O, and AB. Within these groups, there are a further eight blood types. Your blood group depends on which antigens are on the surface of the red blood cells. Scientists use two types of antigens to classify blood types, ABO antigens and Rh antigens.
Some red blood cells have Rh factor, also known as the RhD antigen. If the red blood cells contain the RhD antigen, they are RhD positive. If they do not, they are RhD negative. Hence, other than the A, B, AB and O, we also have A+, B+, AB+ and O+. So, in short, there are eight main blood types in the ABO/Rh blood group system. Both ABO and Rh are important and a doctor has to see both when considering blood types.
A simple blood test is enough to know a person's blood group. A small amount of blood from your body will be mixed with three different substances to see how they react. Each substance contains A antibodies, B antibodies, or Rh factor. The antibodies will cause a different reaction in each case. If the blood is incompatible, it will clump. This helps in identifying blood group.
Before transfusion, the same method is followed. In this case, a sample of the donor's blood is mixed with that of the recipient.
It is absolutely necessary to match blood before a transfusion. This is because if you receive red blood cells with antigens that are not already present in your system, your body will reject and attack the new red blood cells. This is dangerous and can lead to potentially life-threatening conditions.