Blood Type Lab Report

In humans, a single gene in the body determines blood type, whether it be A, B, AB, or O. This gene determines what type of antigen protein (if there is any in the first place) is attached to a red blood cell’s membrane. The gene is designated as I, and it has three common alleles, which include IA, IB, and i. Different combinations of these three alleles produce four different phenotypes, more commonly referred to as Blood Type A (homozygous IAIA or heterozygous IAi), Blood Type B (homozygous IBIB or heterozygous IBi), Blood Type AB (heterozygous IAIB), and Blood Type O (homozygous ii). The allele IA provides the presence of an A antigen on red blood cells, while the IB allele is responsible for the presence of the B antigen. Type AB blood has both A and …show more content…
The i allele results in no antigen in the body. IA and IB are both codominant, while i is recessive. The blood type of a human is a complex matter, but determining it is not. Through the observation of chemical changes, it is possible to determine the blood type of any individual. Each of the four blood types (A, B, AB, and O) has a specific reaction to Anti-A and Anti-B serums. By observing these changes, the blood type of anyone can be identified. Even though all blood is made from the same elements, not all blood is identical. In fact, there are at least four different types of human blood. What makes one person’s blood different from another’s is the absence or presence of specific proteins, called agglutinogens (short for agglutinating antigens) (Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, 2015). Fundamentally, an agglutinogen is specific antigen that simulates the production of an agglutinin, such as an antibody (Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, 2015). An agglutinin is a type of substance (like an antibody) that is capable of causing an agglutination reaction in a particular antigen, chiefly red blood