|From: sam||24/05/99 13:44:41|
|Subject: blood||post id: 13536|
|What do the designations for blood types stand for; A,B,O etc?|
And where do they come from?
|From: Di||24/05/99 13:51:09|
|Subject: re: blood||post id: 13539|
|One of the great breakthroughs in the history of medicine was Karl Landsteiner's discovery of blood groups in 1901. Prior to this discovery,blood transfusions were hazardous at best, and oftentimes lethal. Landsteiner discovered two basic markers (antigens) that are often present on the surface of red blood cells. He named these two antigens A and B. All people are either type A, type B, type AB, or type O; depending on whether they have one, both, or neither of these markers on their red cells. |
Landsteiner also discovered that plasma usually contains antibodies that can react with the A and B antigens on the red blood cells. Before giving a blood transfusion, it is necessary to determine that the recipient's plasma does not have any antibodies that will react with the donor's red blood cells.
|From: Di||24/05/99 14:01:21|
|Subject: re: blood||post id: 13540|
|Just as an added note.|
I am not sure of this but i heard that Karl Landsteiner died because he was not allowed in an all white hospital for a transfusion. I could be wrong on this...
|From: swat and Amanda||26/05/99 12:44:52|
|Subject: re: blood||post id: 13835|
|they refer to the different proteins extending from the blood cells membrane. As for the actual letters I think that they were actually made up. These proteins are used by the body as a sort of self recognition device. This is why you can't use just any blood in transfusions. O type blood has no proteins on the surface of the cell, and A and B have differing shapes, antibodies can recognise the cells as one of their own due to their shape. |