blood typing
the laboratory examination to determine a person’s blood type
Blood typing is a laboratory test that categorizes a person’s blood type based on the presence or absence of certain proteins called antigens on the surface of red blood cells. The two main types of blood type systems are the ABO group and the Rh factor.
The ABO group categorizes blood types as A, B, AB, or O based on the presence or absence of A and/or B antigens. For example, type A blood has the A antigen, type B blood has the B antigen, type AB blood has both A and B antigens, and type O blood has neither A nor B antigens. The ABO group is important for blood transfusions since a person can only receive a blood transfusion from someone with the same or compatible blood type.
The Rh factor refers to another antigen that is either present or absent on red blood cells. If a person has the Rh antigen, their blood type is considered Rh-positive. If they do not have the antigen, their blood type is considered Rh-negative.
There are other less common blood type systems such as the Kell system and Duffy system. Blood typing is typically performed during pregnancy to determine the mother’s and baby’s blood types to assess the risk of hemolytic disease of the newborn. It is also performed before a blood transfusion or organ transplant to ensure compatibility between the donor and recipient.
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