There are also minor groups, and other antigen checks such as Rhesus postivity. Together they are used to specify blood donor matches...

A- you have the 'a' antigen and the 'b' antibodies
B- you have the 'b' antigen and the 'b' antibodies
AB- you have both the 'a' and 'b' antigens and no antibodies
O- you have no antigens and both 'a' and 'b' antibodies

Besides that there is also the 'recus' system, where you can be positive or negative for. A negative mother can be dangerous when carrying a child, since the mother will develop antibodies against the baby's blood group (if it is positive) and thus endangering the child.

I hope that helps, otherwise ask more.

What are antigens and antibodies? Whats the difference? Why can't people with blood type O recieve all the different types of blood types but can give to the other types of blood?
Is there a distinct/visible, trait that blood types show?
You mentioned "recus"? What the role of it?

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Originally posted by Kerrie:
what is the most common blood type?

The more you drive, the less intelligent you get. ~ Thom Yorke

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It depends on ethnicity but I believe O and A are the most common, each representing roughly 40% of the population.

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:
I'm blood type O+. (I am female) If I'm preganant with a child who's blood type is a -O, then does that endanger the child?

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NO. The danger only lies in a female who tests negative - Rhesus factor -, who conceives a child with a "positive" (Rhesus factor) male. If you are negative, and the father is negative, then you don't have to worry about child-birth complications.

quote:

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Originally posted by Kerrie:
what is the most common blood type?

The more you drive, the less intelligent you get. ~ Thom Yorke

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O. Or, at least, I have heard that it is O.

quote:

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:

Is there a distinct/visible, trait that blood types show?

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Well, that really remains to be seen (Peter D'adamo has conducted research (and published books) on the hypothesis that blood type effects personality (because of the different raits of cortisol release), appropriate diet, and appropriate exercise. However, it seems that not everyone agrees with his idea (see http://physicsforums.com/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=&TOPIC_ID=9513)).

Also, I think that when the Owl mentioned "recus", she meant "Rhesus". Rhesus factor gets it name from the fact that it was first noticed in Rhesus monkeys. It's only real significance (according to current knowledge) is in determining whether there are likely to be complications in child-birth - as I, and the Owl, have mentioned before.

quote:

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:

Is there a distinct/visible, trait that blood types show?

---

Well, that really remains to be seen (Peter D'adamo has conducted research (and published books) on the hypothesis that blood type effects personality (because of the different raits of cortisol release), appropriate diet, and appropriate exercise. However, it seems that not everyone agrees with his idea (see http://physicsforums.com/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=&TOPIC_ID=9513)).

Also, I think that when the Owl mentioned "recus", she meant "Rhesus". Rhesus factor gets it name from the fact that it was first noticed in Rhesus monkeys. It's only real significance (according to current knowledge) is in determining whether there are likely to be complications in child-birth - as the Owl and I, have mentioned before.

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Originally posted by Mentat:

quote:

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Originally posted by Kerrie:
what is the most common blood type?

The more you drive, the less intelligent you get. ~ Thom Yorke

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O. Or, at least, I have heard that it is O.

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Actually it isn't (another reason why I hate being blood type O). Its very rare, so its dangerous to have it. If you had the misfortune of blood type O like me, and you became seriously injured, and lost a lot of blood, you would only be able to accept blood type O only. Many people die that way; they can't get a donor. Most people have blood type A or B or AB.

quote:

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Originally posted by Mentat:

quote:

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:
I'm blood type O+. (I am female) If I'm preganant with a child who's blood type is a -O, then does that endanger the child?

---

NO. The danger only lies in a female who tests negative - Rhesus factor -, who conceives a child with a "positive" (Rhesus factor) male. If you are negative, and the father is negative, then you don't have to worry about child-birth complications.

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Why is it dangerous in the first place?
So if I have a male child, (and the scenario is the dangerous one) he will be in danger, while if I have a female child, then she won't be in danger?
What kind of complications will result from this?

quote:

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Originally posted by Mentat:

quote:

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:

Is there a distinct/visible, trait that blood types show?

---

Also, I think that when the Owl mentioned "recus", she meant "Rhesus". Rhesus factor gets it name from the fact that it was first noticed in Rhesus monkeys. It's only real significance (according to current knowledge) is in determining whether there are likely to be complications in child-birth - as I, and the Owl, have mentioned before.

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Is there some sort of a chemical compound that makes up blood?

quote:

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:

quote:

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Originally posted by Mentat:

quote:

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:

Is there a distinct/visible, trait that blood types show?

---

Also, I think that when the Owl mentioned "recus", she meant "Rhesus". Rhesus factor gets it name from the fact that it was first noticed in Rhesus monkeys. It's only real significance (according to current knowledge) is in determining whether there are likely to be complications in child-birth - as I, and the Owl, have mentioned before.

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Is there some sort of a chemical compound that makes up blood?

www.dbzsc.com/vegeta34.jpg

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I'm not sure what you mean. Blood is made of the same stuff the rest of the body is made of.

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:
What's the difference between different blood types then? Surely there must be a chemical difference?

www.dbzsc.com/vegeta34.jpg

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Yes, the protein coating on red blood cells differ in 3 amino acids that make it up.

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:
AHH!! Fantastic! So that's all? That was all there was to it? Just amino acids? Fascinating. Thanks Deslaar. Can you tell me about the different layers of amino acids? What types of amino acids coat the blood cells? Is it only red blood cells.

www.dbzsc.com/vegeta34.jpg

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The gene is over 1000 base pairs long so doing the math that would mean the protein was comprised of at least 333 amino acid molecules (4 differ between blood types - not 3 as I said earlier) all folded up into their unique shape. I'm not sure what you mean by "different layers of amino acids"

As far as I know most animal cells have some form of protein coating.

________________

quote:

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:

quote:

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Originally posted by Mentat:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kerrie:
what is the most common blood type?

The more you drive, the less intelligent you get. ~ Thom Yorke

---

O. Or, at least, I have heard that it is O.

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Actually it isn't (another reason why I hate being blood type O). Its very rare, so its dangerous to have it. If you had the misfortune of blood type O like me, and you became seriously injured, and lost a lot of blood, you would only be able to accept blood type O only. Many people die that way; they can't get a donor. Most people have blood type A or B or AB.

www.dbzsc.com/vegeta34.jpg

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Are you positive? I have now re-read my books, and they seem to imply that while O is the weakest, it is still the most common (in America). The O blood type only continues because both of the types in the genotype carry, even though only one is expressed as the phenotype. So, while I am an A - if my father were an O - my genotype could Ao.

quote:

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:

quote:

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Originally posted by Mentat:

quote:

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Originally posted by MajinVegeta:
I'm blood type O+. (I am female) If I'm preganant with a child who's blood type is a -O, then does that endanger the child?

---

NO. The danger only lies in a female who tests negative - Rhesus factor -, who conceives a child with a "positive" (Rhesus factor) male. If you are negative, and the father is negative, then you don't have to worry about child-birth complications.

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Why is it dangerous in the first place?
So if I have a male child, (and the scenario is the dangerous one) he will be in danger, while if I have a female child, then she won't be in danger?
What kind of complications will result from this?

www.dbzsc.com/vegeta34.jpg

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No, no, no. If you conceive a child (of whatever gender) with a male that tests negative (Rhesus factor), you are likely to have complications in giving birth to the child. IOW, if the mother is negative, and the father is positive, you are likely to have complications.

{Side Note} I have read that the first birth will not usually be any different than normal birth, it is second, third, etc... that have complications; I am not sure of the validity of this, but it seemed to make sense.