How many blood types are there? What does blood type mean, compatibility, features. What are the types of blood and how many are there? What blood types exist in humans?

The materials are published for informational purposes only and are not a prescription for treatment! We recommend that you consult a hematologist at your medical institution!

Blood type and Rh factor are special proteins that determine its individual character, just like the color of a person’s eyes or hair. Group and Rhesus have great importance in medicine in the treatment of blood loss, blood diseases, and also affect the formation of the body, the functioning of organs and even psychological characteristics person.

Concept of blood group

Even ancient doctors tried to replenish blood loss by transfusion of blood from person to person and even from animals. As a rule, all these attempts had a sad outcome. And only at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Austrian scientist Karl Landsteiner discovered differences in blood groups in people, which were special proteins in red blood cells - agglutinogens, that is, causing an agglutination reaction - gluing of red blood cells. It was this that caused the death of patients after blood transfusion.

Two main types of agglutinogens have been established, which have been conventionally named A and B. The adhesion of red blood cells, that is, blood incompatibility, occurs when the agglutinogen combines with the protein of the same name - agglutinin, contained in the blood plasma, respectively, a and b. This means that in human blood there cannot be proteins of the same name that cause red blood cells to stick together, that is, if there is agglutinogen A, then there cannot be agglutinin a in it.

It has also been discovered that the blood can contain both agglutinogens - A and B, but then it does not contain any type of agglutinin, and vice versa. All these are the signs that determine the blood type. Therefore, when the proteins of the same name in red blood cells and plasma combine, a blood group conflict develops.

Types of blood groups

Based on this discovery, 4 main types of blood groups have been identified in humans:

• 1st, which does not contain agglutinogens, but contains both agglutinins a and b, this is the most common blood type, possessed by 45% of the world's population;
• 2nd, containing agglutinogen A and agglutinin b, is detected in 35% of people;
• 3rd, which contains agglutinogen B and agglutinin a, 13% of people have it;
• 4th, containing both agglutinogens A and B, and not containing agglutinins, this blood type is the rarest, it is determined only in 7% of the population.

In Russia, the designation of blood group according to the AB0 system is accepted, that is, according to the content of agglutinogens in it. In accordance with this, the blood group table looks like this:

Blood grouping is inherited. Can your blood type change? The answer to this question is clear: it cannot. Although the history of medicine knows of only one case associated with gene mutations. The gene that determines blood type is located in the 9th pair of the human chromosome set.

Important! The judgment about which blood group suits everyone has lost its relevance today, as has the concept of a universal donor, that is, the owner of the 1st (zero) blood group. Many subtypes of blood groups have been discovered, and only blood of the same type is transfused.

Rh factor: negative and positive

Despite Landsteiner's discovery of blood groups, transfusion reactions continued to occur during transfusions. The scientist continued his research, and together with his colleagues Wiener and Levine, he managed to discover another specific protein-antigen of erythrocytes - the Rh factor. It was first identified in the rhesus monkey, which is where it got its name. It turned out that Rh is present in the blood of most people: 85% of the population has this antigen, and 15% do not have it, that is, they have a negative Rh factor.

The peculiarity of the Rh antigen is that when it enters the blood of people who do not have it, it promotes the production of anti-Rh antibodies. Upon repeated contact with the Rh factor, these antibodies give a severe hemolytic reaction, which is called Rh conflict.

Important! When the Rh factor is negative, this does not simply mean the absence of the Rh antigen in the red blood cells. Anti-Rh antibodies may be present in the blood, which could be formed during contact with Rh-positive blood. Therefore, analysis for the presence of Rh antibodies is mandatory.

Determination of blood group and Rh factor

Blood type and Rh factor are subject to mandatory determination in the following cases:

• for blood transfusions;
• for bone marrow transplantation;
• before any operation;
• during pregnancy;
• for blood diseases;
• in newborns with hemolytic jaundice (Rhesus incompatibility with the mother).

However, ideally, every person, both adults and children, should have information about group and Rh affiliation. Cases of severe injury or acute illness when blood may be urgently needed.

Blood group determination

Blood group determination is carried out with specially obtained monoclonal antibodies according to the AB0 system, that is, serum agglutinins, which cause the adhesion of red blood cells upon contact with agglutinogens of the same name.

The algorithm for determining the blood group is as follows:

1. Prepare anti-A cyclones (monoclonal antibodies) - ampoules Pink colour, and anti-B - ampoules of blue color. Prepare 2 clean pipettes, glass rods for mixing and glass slides, a disposable 5 ml syringe for drawing blood, and a test tube.
2. Blood is drawn from a vein.
3. A large drop of zoliclones (0.1 ml) is applied to a glass slide or a special marked plate; small drops of the blood being tested (0.01 ml) are mixed with separate glass rods.
4. Observe the result for 3-5 minutes. A drop with mixed blood can be homogeneous - a minus reaction (-), or flakes fall out - a plus reaction or agglutination (+). The results must be assessed by a doctor. Options for testing blood group determination are presented in the table:

Determination of Rh factor

Determination of the Rh factor is carried out similarly to the determination of blood group, that is, using a monoclonal serum antibody to the Rh antigen. A large drop of the reagent (zoliclone) and a small drop of freshly drawn blood are applied to a special clean white ceramic surface in the same proportions (10:1). The blood is carefully mixed with a glass rod and the reagent.

Determining the Rh factor with zoliclones takes less time, because the reaction occurs within 10-15 seconds. However, it is necessary to maintain a maximum period of 3 minutes. Just as in the case of determining the blood group, the test tube with blood is sent to the laboratory.

IN medical practice Today, a convenient and fast express method for determining group affiliation and Rh factor is widely used using dry zoliclones, which are diluted sterile water for injection immediately before the study. The method is called “Erythrotest-group card”, it is very convenient both in clinics, in extreme conditions, and in field conditions.

Character and health of a person by blood type

Human blood as a specific genetic trait has not yet been fully studied. IN last years Scientists have discovered variants of blood subgroups, are developing new technologies for determining compatibility, and so on.

Blood is also credited with the ability to influence the health and character of its owner. And although this issue remains controversial, many years of observations have noted Interesting Facts. For example, Japanese researchers believe that it is possible to determine a person’s character by their blood type:

• owners of the 1st blood group are strong-willed, strong, sociable and emotional people;
• owners of the 2nd group are distinguished by patience, scrupulousness, perseverance, and hard work;
• representatives of the 3rd group are creative personalities, but at the same time too impressionable, domineering and capricious;
• people with blood group 4 live more by feelings, are characterized by indecisiveness, and are sometimes unjustifiably harsh.

As for health depending on blood type, it is believed that it is the strongest in the majority of the population, that is, in group 1. Persons with the 2nd group are prone to heart disease and cancer; those with the 3rd group are characterized by weak immunity, low resistance to infections and stress, and representatives of the 4th group are prone to cardiovascular pathology, joint diseases, and cancer.

Types of blood groups:

There are 4 blood groups: OI, AII, BIII, ABIV. Group characteristics of human blood are constant sign, are inherited, arise in the prenatal period and do not change during life or under the influence of disease.

It was found that the agglutination reaction occurs when antigens of one blood group (they are called agglutinogens), which are found in red blood cells - erythrocytes, stick together with antibodies of another group (they are called agglutinins) that are found in plasma - the liquid part of the blood. The division of blood according to the AB0 system into four groups is based on the fact that the blood may or may not contain antigens (agglutinogens) A and B, as well as antibodies (agglutinins) α (alpha or anti-A) and β (beta or anti-B) .

First blood group - 0 (I)

Group I - does not contain agglutinogens (antigens), but contains agglutinins (antibodies) α and β. It is designated 0 (I). Since this group does not contain foreign particles (antigens), it can be transfused to all people. A person with this blood type is a universal donor.

It is believed that this is the most ancient blood group or group of “hunters”, which arose between 60,000 and 40,000 BC, during the era of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, who only knew how to gather food and hunt. People with the first blood group have leadership qualities.

Second blood group A β (II)

Group II contains agglutinogen (antigen) A and agglutinin β (antibodies to agglutinogen B). Therefore, it can be transfused only to those groups that do not contain antigen B - these are groups I and II.

This group appeared later than the first, between 25,000 and 15,000 BC, when man began to master agriculture. There are especially many people with the second blood group in Europe. It is believed that people with this blood type are also prone to leadership, but are more flexible in communicating with others than people with the first blood group.

Third blood group Bα (III)

Group III contains agglutinogen (antigen) B and agglutinin α (antibodies to agglutinogen A). Therefore, it can be transfused only to those groups that do not contain antigen A - this is I and Group III.

The third group appeared around 15,000 BC, when humans began to populate the colder areas to the north. This blood group first appeared in the Mongoloid race. Over time, the group's carriers began to move to the European continent. And today there are a lot of people with such blood in Asia and Eastern Europe. People with this blood type are usually patient and very efficient.

Fourth blood group AB0 (IV)

Blood group IV contains agglutinogens (antigens) A and B, but contains agglutinins (antibodies). Therefore, it can only be transfused to those who have the same, fourth blood group. But, since there are no antibodies in the blood of such people that can stick together with antibodies introduced from outside, they can be transfused with blood of any group. People with blood group IV are universal recipients.

Type 4 is the newest of the four human blood groups. It appeared less than 1000 years ago as a result of the mixing of Indo-Europeans, carriers of group I, and Mongoloids, carriers of group III. It is rare.

Blood type There are no OI agglutinogens, both agglutinins are present, the serological formula of this group is OI; blood of group AN contains agglutinogen A and agglutinin beta, serological formula - AII blood of group VS contains agglutinogen B and agglutinin alpha, serological formula - BIII; blood of the ABIV group contains agglutinogens A and B, there are no agglutinins, the serological formula is ABIV.

Under agglutination we mean the sticking of red blood cells and their destruction. “Agglutination (late Latin word aglutinatio - gluing) - gluing and precipitation of corpuscular particles - bacteria, erythrocytes, platelets, tissue cells, corpuscular chemically active particles with antigens or antibodies adsorbed on them, suspended in an electrolyte environment"

Blood type(phenotype) is inherited according to the laws of genetics and is determined by a set of genes (genotype) obtained with the maternal and paternal chromosome. A person can only have those blood antigens that his parents have. Inheritance of blood groups according to the ABO system is determined by three genes - A, B and O. Each chromosome can have only one gene, so the child receives only two genes from the parents (one from the mother, the other from the father), which cause the appearance of two genes in red blood cells ABO system antigens. In Fig. Figure 2 shows a diagram of the inheritance of blood groups according to the ABO system.

Blood antigens appear in the 2-3rd month of intrauterine life and are well defined by the birth of the child. Natural antibodies are detected from the 3rd month after birth and reach their maximum titer by 5-10 years.

Blood group inheritance scheme according to the ABO system

It may seem strange that blood type can determine how well the body absorbs certain foods, however, medicine confirms the fact that there are diseases that are most often found in people of a certain blood type.

The method of nutrition based on blood groups was developed by the American doctor Peter D'Adamo. According to his theory, the digestibility of food and the efficiency of its use by the body is directly related to the genetic characteristics of a person, his blood type. For the normal functioning of the immune and digestive systems, a person needs to consume foods that correspond to his blood group. In other words, those foods that his ancestors ate in ancient times. Excluding substances incompatible with blood from the diet reduces the body's sludge and improves functioning internal organs.

Types of activities depending on blood types

The results of the study of blood groups thus stand among other evidence of “consanguinity” and once again confirm the thesis about the common origin of the human race.

Various groups appeared in humans as a result of mutations. Mutation is a spontaneous change in hereditary material that decisively affects the ability of a living being to survive. Man as a whole is the result of countless mutations. The fact that man still exists testifies to the fact that at all times he was able to adapt to his environment and give birth to offspring. The formation of blood groups also occurred in the form of mutations and natural selection.

The emergence of racial differences is associated with advances in production achieved during the Middle and New Stone Ages (Mesolithic and Neolithic); These successes made possible the widespread territorial settlement of people across various climatic zones. Varied climatic conditions thus influenced various groups people, changing them directly or indirectly and affecting a person’s ability to work. Social labor was gaining more and more weight compared to natural conditions, and each race was formed in a limited area, under the specific influence of natural and social conditions. Thus, the interweaving of relatively strong and weaknesses The development of material culture of that time revealed the emergence of racial differences between people in conditions when the environment dominated man.

Since the Stone Age, further advances in manufacturing have freed humans to a certain extent from the direct influence of the environment. They mixed and roamed together. That's why modern conditions lives often no longer have any connection with the various racial constitutions of human groups. In addition, adaptation to environmental conditions, discussed above, was indirect in many respects. The direct consequences of adaptation to the environment led to further modifications, which were both morphologically and physiologically related to the first. The cause of the emergence of racial characteristics should, therefore, be sought only indirectly in external environment or in human activity in the production process.

Blood type I (0) - hunter

Evolution of digestive systems and immune defense organism lasted several tens of thousands of years. About 40,000 years ago, at the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic, Neanderthals gave way to fossil types modern man. The most common of these was the Cro-Magnon (from the name of the Cro-Magnon grotto in the Dordogne, Southern France), distinguished by pronounced Caucasian features. As a matter of fact, during the Upper Paleolithic era, all three modern large races arose: Caucasoid, Negroid and Mongoloid. According to the theory of the Pole Ludwik Hirszfeld, fossil people of all three races had the same blood type - 0 (I), and all other blood groups were separated through mutation from the “first blood” of our primitive ancestors. Cro-Magnons perfected the collective methods of hunting mammoths and cave bears, known to their Neanderthal predecessors. Over time, man became the smartest and most dangerous predator in nature. The main source of energy for Cro-Magnon hunters was meat, that is, animal protein. The Cro-Magnon digestive tract was best suited for digesting huge amount meat - that's why modern humans have type 0 acidity gastric juice slightly higher than in people with other blood groups. Cro-Magnons had a strong and resilient immune system, which allowed them to easily cope with almost any infection. If average duration The life of Neanderthals averaged twenty-one years, while Cro-Magnons lived much longer. In the harsh conditions of primitive life, only the strongest and most active individuals could and did survive. In each of the blood groups, it is encoded at the gene level vital information about the lifestyle of our ancestors, including muscular activity and, for example, type of nutrition. This is why modern carriers of blood type 0 (I) (currently up to 40% of the world's population belong to type 0) prefer to engage in aggressive and extreme sports!

Blood type II (A) - agrarian (farmer)

Towards the end of the Ice Age, the Paleolithic era was replaced by the Mesolithic. The so-called “Middle Stone Age” lasted from the 14th-12th to the 6th-5th millennia BC. Population growth and the inevitable extermination of large animals led to the fact that hunting could no longer feed people. The next crisis in the history of human civilization contributed to the development of agriculture and the transition to permanent settlement. Global changes in lifestyle and, as a consequence, type of nutrition entailed the further evolution of the digestive and immune systems. And again the fittest survived. In conditions of overcrowding and living in an agricultural community, only those whose immune apparatus was able to cope with infections characteristic of a communal way of life could survive. Along with further restructuring of the digestive tract, when the main source of energy became not animal, but plant protein, all this led to the emergence of the “agrarian-vegetarian” blood group A (II). The great migration of Indo-European peoples to Europe led to the fact that currently Western Europe Type A people predominate. Unlike aggressive “hunters,” those with blood type A (II) are more adapted to survive in densely populated regions. Over time, gene A became, if not a sign of a typical city dweller, then a guarantee of survival during epidemics of plague and cholera, which at one time wiped out half of Europe (according to the latest research European immunologists, after medieval pandemics it was mainly A-type people who survived). The ability and need to coexist with others like oneself, less aggressiveness, greater contact, that is, everything that we call socio-psychological stability of the individual, is inherent in the owners of blood group A (II), again at the gene level. That is why the overwhelming majority of A-type people prefer to engage in intellectual sports, and when choosing one of the styles of martial arts, they will give preference not to karate, but, say, aikido.

Blood type III(B) - barbarian (nomad)

It is believed that the ancestral home of the group B gene is in the foothills of the Western Himalayas in what is now India and Pakistan. The migration of agricultural and pastoral tribes from East Africa and the expansion of warlike Mongoloid nomads to the north and northeast of Europe led to the widespread spread and penetration of the B gene into many, primarily Eastern European, populations. The domestication of the horse and the invention of the cart made the nomads especially mobile, and the colossal population size, even at that time, allowed them to dominate the vast steppes of Eurasia from Mongolia and the Urals to present-day East Germany for many millennia. The method of production cultivated for centuries, mainly cattle breeding, predetermined a special evolution not only digestive system(unlike 0- and A-types, milk and dairy products are considered no less important for B-type people than meat products), but also psychology. Harsh climatic conditions left a special imprint on the Asian character. Patience, determination and equanimity are considered almost the main virtues in the East until today. Apparently, this can explain the outstanding success of Asians in some moderate-intensity sports that require the development of special endurance, for example, badminton or table tennis.

Blood type IV (AB) - mixed (modern)

Blood group AB (IV) arose as a result of the mixing of Indo-Europeans - owners of the A gene and barbarian nomads - carriers of the B gene. To date, only 6% of Europeans have been registered with blood group AB, which is considered the youngest in the ABO system. Geochemical analysis of bone remains from various burials on the territory of modern Europe convincingly proves: back in the 8th-9th centuries AD, mass mixing of groups A and B did not occur, and the first any serious contacts of representatives of the above groups took place during the period of mass migration from the East to the Central Europe and dates back to the X-XI centuries. The unique blood group AB (IV) lies in the fact that its carriers have inherited the immunological resistance of both groups. AB type is extremely resistant to various types of autoimmune and allergic diseases However, some hematologists and immunologists believe that mixed marriage increases the predisposition of AB-type people to a number of oncological diseases(if the parents are A-B types, then the probability of having a child with blood type AB is approximately 25%). A mixed blood type is also characterized by a mixed type of diet, with the “barbarian” component requiring meat, and the “agrarian” roots and low acidity requiring vegetarian dishes! The reaction to stress of the AB type is similar to that demonstrated by those with blood type A, so their sports preferences, in principle, coincide, that is greatest success They tend to achieve success in intellectual and meditative sports, as well as in swimming, mountaineering and cycling.

If you are interested in the relationship between blood groups and body characteristics, we recommend that you read the article.

Every person must know what blood types and Rh factor are. And everyone must be aware of what type they and their loved ones belong to, since sometimes emergency situations arise in which knowledge can save lives.

Information about these indicators can influence the choice of a sexual partner, since if the Rhesus discrepancy occurs, there is a risk of complications for the subsequent bearing of the child. So, what is blood, and what determines its subtypes according to two systems: AB0 and Rh?

The group is inherited, but does not depend in any way on race and gender

What is blood, and why is it divided into types?

Our body - a complex system, which needs communication and coordination of its individual parts. There is a variety for this connective tissue- blood. It moves along a special pattern of veins and arteries with the help of the heart, which pushes it from birth to death of a person.

This liquid performs important tasks:

• Transport, delivering the necessary substances, oxygen, hormones and other biologically significant elements that regulate the functioning of internal organs, removing “waste” from cell activity.
• Regulating, maintaining a relatively uniform temperature throughout the body.
• Protective, neutralizing infections and other dangers.
• Homeostatic, maintaining the balance of chemical parameters.
• Nutritious, filling the organs with useful substances.

Blood fluid performs functions that support the life support of the body

Although blood performs the same functions in any body, in different people she is different. The name of the classification that organizes blood types is AB0. It implies 4 types of such connective fluid, which differ due to the presence or absence of antigens and antibodies in them.

During life, the blood subtype does not change, it is constant. The group depends on heredity and is calculated based on the results of the parents.

Blood is classified according to the AB0 classification.

What types of blood do people have, and what does each of them mean? Let's figure it out!

Types of blood

The division of blood types is presented in the following table:

Both antigens and antibodies are protein compounds, the presence or absence of which determines the blood type. The former are located on the membrane of erythrocytes, and the latter are in the plasma. At the same time, they interact with each other.

Types of blood fluid groups

Antigens are divided into two types: A and B, their combination creates the fourth blood group. The same picture applies to antibodies that “live” in blood plasma. Their simultaneous presence creates the first group. For the remaining two, the combination is either A and β (second), or B and α (third). When antibodies different types meet, they react with antigens and form a precipitate. When transfusion of blood of the wrong type occurs, an agglutination reaction occurs. If there is little of this fluid, the situation is limited to anemia and jaundice. A large volume of foreign blood can be fatal.

What types of blood a person has are regulated by the AB0 system, which takes into account all possible combinations of antibodies and antigens. To find out what type a person belongs to, they carry out special test. A blood sample is taken and mixed with the appropriate protein compounds and, depending on the amount and type of normal reaction and pathological, the result is determined.

1 or 0

Most people on the planet have the first blood group. This is explained by the fact that it more often manifests itself when different subtypes of the mother and father of the unborn child are combined. If parents with subtype 4 can conceive a baby with the same group with a probability of only 50%, then for subtype 1 this percentage immediately increases to 100.

Characteristics of people with group 1

Living with such a group is both difficult and simple - in the case emergency situation such blood is easy to find, but when resources are limited, when only other subtypes are available, transfusions cannot be given. The first group is suitable only for the same blood.

The fact is that it does not have antigens and therefore is not dangerous for others, and 2 groups of antibodies do an excellent job in someone else’s blood. Certainly, best compatibility is provided precisely by the “native” group, but if necessary, the first one can always help out.

2 or A

The second blood group is less common and contains opposite protein compounds of the same type. Its description is expressed in the following formula - antigen A is combined with antibody β. This type implies immune reaction, that is, a conflict with the donor fluid in which another antigen is produced (B, AB - 3 and 4).

Characteristics of group 2

Blood of groups 3 and 4 cannot be transfused to patients with type 2 according to the AB0 system, since they contain antigen B, which in turn requires the presence of antibody α. If it is not there, red blood cells will coagulate, die, and a negative reaction will follow for the entire body, even death.

3 or B

This type is approximately the same as the previous one. It depends on the percentage frequency of occurrence of a child with this group in parents with different options blood.

Classification 3 groups

This blood works, as in the case of the second group, but it is its complete opposite. This means that it contains the B antigen combined with the α antibody. Since the second and fourth groups (A and AB) contain the opposite antigen A, this means that such a transfusion will lead to serious consequences for human health.

4 or AB

This group is radically different from the first, or rather, represents its opposite. On the contrary, it contains two antibodies to which there is no immune response, that is, an agglutination reaction does not occur when mixed with other types. Because of this, she is able to accept any donor without negative consequences.

Classification 4 groups

It is worth saying that fourth blood is the rarest. Only a few percent of the world's population belongs to it. Moreover, this species with a negative Rh factor is three times less common than with a positive one. However, this is compensated by the ability to transfuse blood with any other indicator and the corresponding Rh factor.

Ideal compatibility is possible, of course, with a perfect match of the group, but with the fourth negative it is almost impossible to achieve such a result. During serious operations, portions of such blood are specially ordered in advance, which sometimes have to wait for several long months.

Having decided what blood groups a person has according to the AB0 system, it is worth moving on to another division into two types - according to the Rh factor. This is no less important indicator both during blood transfusion and during pregnancy.

Read also: – theory and facts

What is Rh factor?

The effectiveness of the transfusion depends on what blood types a person has. The Rh factor must also be taken into account before this procedure to prevent sensitization of the body.

This indicator itself, Rhesus, means the presence or absence of a lipoprotein, which is located on the outer side of the red blood cell membrane. There are only two states:

• Rh+, which means the presence of such a protein;
• Rh -, which implies its absence.

More than 85% of the world's population has a positive Rh factor. The remaining 15 have red blood cells without such a protein, which means they belong to rare species Rh-. What does this mean for a person, and how can it affect his life and health?

The main thing when transfusing blood, after determining the required group, is not to mix opposite Rh indicators. It is vitally important that patients with Rh+ receive this fluid and vice versa.

This is justified by the fact that when a lipoprotein appears in the connective tissue, which should not be there (in Rh-people), the immune system “sees” it as its worst enemy and actively produces antibodies designed to destroy it. The aggressive defensive reaction is maintained, and if a mistake of the same nature is repeated, the red blood cells stick together.

Difficulties with Rhesus

The body of a person with positive rhesus is "more secure" than that of people with negative rhesus. Because Rh+ is common, it is much easier to obtain in hospitals. If there are still quite a lot of people with negative Rhesus of the first group, and collecting their donor fluid in the required quantity is not difficult in large medical centers, then with the same Rh, only of the fourth group - it’s almost impossible.

Such blood is rare, so it happens that patients acute condition, after a serious accident, injury, die due to a lack of appropriate donor fluid.

Troubles due to Rhesus threaten pregnant women. This happens if the mother and child do not have the same indicator. This can cause rejection, up to and including termination of pregnancy. Complications in this situation often occur, and in late stages of pregnancy. Such women are much more likely and longer to remain in confinement and resort to artificial childbirth or caesarean section. However, in such a situation, a disabled child is more likely to be born.

A conflict involving such a protein compound appears only if the woman has a negative group, and the child has a positive group. The immune system the mother reacts to a lipoprotein that is produced in the child’s blood and secretes antibodies designed to destroy it. This is dangerous for the baby, since his red blood cells die during the attack. In all other cases, there can be no conflict, and the father's Rh factor has no fundamental significance.

However, expectant mothers should not worry, since with proper awareness of doctors and regular examinations, this can be successfully overcome. Modern medicine has a number of drugs that help smooth and balance the body of mother and child and reduce risks to a minimum. The main thing is that a pregnant woman should think less and be nervous about this.

During childbirth, a woman is given a special drug that suppresses the production of antibodies. This allows their production to slow down in subsequent pregnancies. If this is not done, by the second and third births their number will increase, which will have an even stronger effect on the child’s body, his growth and the entire process of gestation.

Why do you need to know your blood type?

All this is understandable, but why do you even need to understand what groups there are and which of them your own blood belongs to? In fact, this is very important; a person’s life sometimes depends on knowledge or ignorance of this factor:

• Blood transfusion is possible only if the groups match. Before scientists discovered that there were several types of this liquid, such operations ended fatal due to rejection of transfused tissue.
• Blood type is determined in newborns when hemolytic disease– when the group of mother and child is incompatible, which leads to complications for the baby.
• Before surgery find out the specifics of the blood in order to perform a transfusion if necessary.
• The blood type and Rh factor are also determined during pregnancy in order to track their compatibility in mother and child and avoid danger to the baby.

Such information is of great importance in in case of emergency: after accidents or mass disasters. Therefore it is written in medical documents and even school diaries, it is advised to make special inserts in your passport or driver’s license. This is necessary for doctors to quickly respond to large blood losses.

Blood is a liquid tissue of the body that consists of plasma and formed cells, which include white blood cells, platelets and red blood cells. Each of these cells has its own properties and functions. So, red blood cells are “responsible” for the blood group. Based on this, we can conclude that a blood group is a certain set of formed blood cells, i.e. – red blood cells. They may be the same for a whole group of people, or they may be different. There are 4 blood groups.

Before 1900, people had no idea what blood types there were or how many there were. It was this year that gave humanity the concept that blood is divided into groups. Blood groups, in the form in which we are accustomed to seeing them, were discovered by a scientist from Austria, Landsteiner. This happened in 1900. However, thanks to laboratory experiments, he was able to establish only 3 blood groups. His work was continued by a scientist from the Czech Republic, Jan Jansky, and in 1906 he discovered the fourth blood group. But it was Landsteiner who in 1930 was awarded Nobel Prize for the discovery of blood groups. There is still such a thing as the Landsteiner AVO system. There are many other classifications, but the ABO system is the most popular. This is due to the convenience and practicality of the Landsteiner system.

Characteristics of blood groups

As already indicated, a person’s blood group is the characteristics of the properties of red blood cells. There are many protein compounds on the membrane of these cells. Such connections are controlled by chromosome number 9. Accordingly, the blood type is inherited by the child from his parents.

In addition, blood type does not change throughout life. This means that it does not need to be constantly defined. It is enough to take blood group and Rh factor tests once. They will remain unchanged for the rest of your life.

If it suddenly turns out that the group or Rh factor has changed, this means that the blood test was performed incorrectly and the wrong blood type or Rh factor was determined. To prevent this from happening, the study is recommended to be done only in trusted medical institutions.

Types of blood groups

To date, it has been established how many blood groups there are, namely only 4 groups:

• O(I)– this is how the first blood group is designated when we are talking about the ABO system. It does not imply the content of antigens, but agglutinins are present in the plasma α and β.
• A (II)- This is the second blood group in the ABO designation system. IN in this case in formed blood cells (erythrocytes) only antigen A is detected, and in plasma - agglutinin β .
• B (III)- this is how blood group number 3 is designated in the ABO system. It is distinguished from other blood groups by the presence of antigen B in erythrocytes, and agglutinin in plasma α .
• AB (IV)- This is the fourth blood group in the ABO system. Here both antigens A and B can be found in erythrocytes, but agglutinins are unlikely to be detected α and β.

In addition to what blood groups exist and how many there are, it is also necessary to have an idea of ​​what Rh factor a person has. In this case, red blood cells are again examined. If a special protein is found on their surfaces (this is the Rh factor), then Rh is determined with a “+” sign. If a blood test shows that a person’s red blood cells do not contain this protein, then Rh is determined with a “-” sign.

Why does a person need to determine their blood type and Rh factor?

Oddly enough, but even in modern society Not everyone understands why it is necessary to determine the blood type and Rh factor. These indicators are necessary to perform blood transfusions and to determine the compatibility of parents to conceive a child. In the first case, blood transfusion from one person to another is possible only if their blood type and Rh factor match.

So, if a person has a fourth positive group blood, then under no circumstances should it be infused into a person from the first negative group blood. If this is not taken into account, the procedure will lead to dire consequences.

When it comes to pregnancy planning, it is important to find out the compatibility of the future parents. This helps to avoid problems that can occur due to incompatibility between mom and dad. Such a conflict leads to spontaneous abortion or to the development of congenital diseases or even developmental delay. It can only be avoided if the baby’s parents are compatible or if preventive measures, helping to prevent Rh conflict if mom and dad are incompatible.

Every educated person should know how many blood groups there are and what they are. Both of these issues have been discussed in detail in this article.