Circulatory System

1. Circulatory System Blood Types

2. Circulatory System • Blood Types • A, contains antigen A (a chemical found on the surface of the blood cell) • B, contains antigen B • AB, contains antigen A, and antigen B • O, does not contain an antigen • Type O- is the universal donor • Type AB+ is the universal acceptor

3. Genetics of Blood Type • There are three forms of the gene (alleles) that control the ABO blood group, which are designated as iA, i B, and i. You have two alleles (one from your mother and one from your father), which are referred to as your genotype. The inheritance of the alleles is co-dominant, meaning that if the allele is present, it gets expressed. (See How Gene Pools Work for more information.) The following genotypes will yield these blood types: • iAiA or iAi - Both genotypes produce the A protein (type A). • iBiB or iBi - Both genotypes produce the B protein (type B). • iAiB - This genotype produces the A and B protein (type AB). • ii - This genotype produces no protein (type O). • So, your blood type does not necessarily tell you exactly which alleles you have. For example, a person with blood type A could have either two iA alleles or one iA allele and one i allele. It is possible for two parents with the same blood type (A or B) to have a child with type O blood. Both parents would have to have a mixed genotype, such as one i allele together with either one iA or one iB allele.

4. Who has your blood? • This is a chart representing the percentages of Caucasians in the U.S. and their blood type. • Info from Red Cross. • U.S. Blood-type Distribution • O+38 percent of population • A+34 percent of population • B+9 percent of population • O-7 percent of population • A-6 percent of population • AB+3 percent of population • B-2 percent of population • AB-1 percent of population

5. Circulatory System rH Factor (+ or -) • rH factor is a protein that covers RBCs • If you have the rH you are positive • If you do not then you are negative • rH comes from the Rhesus monkey

6. Who’s What? • Type O- donors are known as universal donors: • because their red blood cells may be transfused to patients of any other blood type in an emergency situation or if the needed blood type is unavailable. • Because any patient can receive O negative red blood cells, there is a need for O donors to give more often and shortages of type O blood are very serious. • Type AB plasma can be given to anyone as well. • But whatever your blood type, your blood is important to someone! 

7. Circulatory System • Blood Transfusions • Wrong blood could equal to blood clots

8. History of Blood Typing • Prior to 1939 the only significant blood group antigens recognized were A, B and O. Transfusion medication was thus based on the matching of ABO groups. In spite of ABO matching, blood transfusion continued to result in unexplained morbidity (sickness) and mortality (death). • As the 1930s ended, two significant discoveries were made that would further the safety of blood transfusion. These discoveries eventually would result in defining the most extensive blood group system known. That blood system is commonly called “Rh” after the rhesus monkey. Technically, however, it is known as D. A person with the D factor in their blood is Rh positive. • In 1930, two doctors named Levin and Stetson reported on a woman who had experienced a blood transfusion after a stillbirth delivery. She had received blood from her husband. By 1939 standards, their blood should have been compatible. However, after the transfusion the woman became sick and her baby died from Erythroblastosis Fetalis. The doctors did further testing on the parent’s blood and found that for some reason their blood reacted differently. • Around the same time two other scientists, Landsteiner and Wiener reported on an antibody made by guinea pigs and rabbits when injected with rhesus monkey red blood cells. They then conducted similar experiments with human blood. The blood seemed to have a factor that caused 85 percent of the human red blood cells to clump together. These scientists decided to call the factor D but it became known as Rh.

9. What happens in a pregnancy when the baby’s blood is different than the mother’s blood? • Finally, the Rh factor is important for pregnant women. If an Rh+ man and an Rh- woman have a child, the child can be Rh+ or Rh-, depending upon the genotype of the father. If the baby is Rh+, this can cause problems. While in the womb, some blood cells from the baby will cross the placenta into the mother's blood stream. The mother will make antibodies to the Rh+ cells. If the woman becomes pregnant again and if the baby is Rh+, the mother's anti-Rh antibodies will cross into the baby's blood and destroy its red blood cells, which can kill the baby. If diagnosed early, it is possible to save a baby under these circumstances by replacing the baby's blood with transfusions that are free of the Rh antibodies. Also, if this situation is known, it is possible to treat a Rh- woman with anti-Rh antibodies (RhoGam) immediately after childbirth to inactivate the baby's Rh+ cells and prevent the mother from forming anti-Rh antibodies (desensitize her). • During pregnancy the mother’s blood and the baby’s blood co-mingle. When the mother’s blood is different than the baby’s blood, the mother’s blood becomes sensitive to the difference. The mother can develop antigens that can attack the baby’s blood cells and destroy them. This is referred to as isoimmunized. • If the mother’s blood and the baby’s blood are the same Rh, then there is no problem. • The first time a woman is pregnant, and if the baby has a different Rh, the mother will develop just a few antigens. However, if she has successive pregnancies with a baby who has a different Rh factor, she will develop more and more of these attack antigen cells. • A drug called Rhogam helps treat this problem.

10. Exploration #2: (40-50 minutes) • Before Class: Get three 500 milliliter beakers and fill each to the 500 mL mark (about 2.25 cups). Into one beaker, add 5 drops of yellow liquid food coloring. Into a different beaker add 5 drops blue food coloring. Into the third beaker add 10 drops green food coloring. Then distribute smaller beakers of each color and one of plain water to each lab station (or if the students are to work at their own desks, put them on trays including beakers.) Also include a testing plate (or small clear beakers or just a plastic overhead sheet) for each group and four droppers. • (Lab Notes: When preparing the food coloring solutions be conscience about how well the green food coloring masks the blue and yellow colors. Because different manufactures may affect the coloration of the solutions, it is recommended that the teacher run the experiment beforehand to confirm that the solutions will work as desired. Also, you may also find that students are able to identify the colors of the solutions better if a white piece of paper is kept under the testing vessel or surface.)

11. Explain to students that when people donate blood to each other sometimes the blood from one person clumps (the small particles in blood bind together into larger masses much like yesterday’s mixture) with the other and causes a blockage but that other people can donate blood to other and it will not clump. Today they will simulate which blood types a person who is injured can get from others and which kinds will cause clumps. • Hand out the student worksheet at the end of the lesson. • Instruct students that we will use food coloring to represent the four basic blood types of people: A B AB O. Write the following information on the board: A-Yellow, B-Blue, AB-Green, O-Clear water. • According to the worksheet (included at the end of the lesson), students will mix different colors (blood types) and indicate if each mixture stays the same color-a successful donation, or if the mixture changes color-an unsuccessful (clumping) donation. Instruct students to use one dropper for each color and that they only need to use a couple of drops each time. Provide any other basic instructions for groups to get started and monitor progress. • It is recommended that the teacher walk the students through the first two tests so that students are clear on how to complete the worksheet. • While students are working, copy table from the student worksheet on board or onto an overhead transparency. • Once the groups have tested their samples, have the students clean up their supplies. • After students have returned to their seats, go through the worksheet and have students tell you if there were reactions or not between what blood types. Collect the worksheets.

12. Left side: • Recipient • Right side: • Donor

13. Questions: 1. What are the four blood types of people? 2. What does blood do? 3. How does it do it? Make sure you talk about the small molecules in the blood that carry oxygen to the body cells (Hemoglobin, myoglobin), clotting particles, dissolved substances in the blood like sugars, etc. 4. Why is blood important to the body? 5. What would happen to the body if blood weren’t there? What causes us to loose blood?

14. Explanation: (30-40 minutes) • Describe how blood is used to donating to other persons. • During this discussion, make sure to incorporate these topics: • Talk about how by being able to donate blood to others, we are able to prevent persons from dying at times when other organisms would die. • Talk about how people have other factors that influence whether one person can donate to another such as Rh. • For homework, have students try to find out what blood type they are and what blood types their family members are. Inform them that their parents may know this information or it should be included on their birth certificate.

15. Elaboration: (30-40 minutes) • Before class make enough copies of the blood type cards and cut apart. (Please note: the card pages below include some cards with both ABO and Rh and others with just ABO. This allows you the flexibility to introduce the additional Rh factor if time allows. Otherwise, only the ABO cards would be necessary.) • Ask students that know their blood type to raise their hands. Give these students their blood type card. For students who do not know their blood type, randomly distribute other cards to students. • Instruct students to put their name at the top of their cards. They should then circulate around the room and determine what students in the room they would be able to donate to and receive blood from. Tell students how long they have to find at least 2 persons for each blood type groups. • Once that time has arrived, have the students take their seats. Choose students from each blood type and randomly put their names on the board (or overhead). Have students tell you who that student can donate to and who they can receive from. Use arrows to show this donation. • Ask the students to discuss how donating and receiving blood by O (or O-) blood types are different from that experienced by AB (or AB+) blood types. This could be done in science notebooks. • Collect the students’ cards and notebooks for grading.