Genetics of blood groups Human blood group is a description of individual antigenic characteristics of red blood cells, determined by methods of identifying specific groups of carbohydrates and proteins included in the membrane of human and animal red blood cells.
One person's red blood cells can carry molecules that act as antigens (substances that the human body considers foreign or potentially dangerous and against which it begins to produce its own antibodies), while another person's red blood cells may not contain such antigens.
blood group, antibodies, antigens, alleles, phenotype, ABO system, Rh system The International Society of Blood Transfusion currently recognizes 29 major blood group systems. The two most important classifications of human blood groups are the AB0 system and the Rh system. However, the membrane of human erythrocytes contains more than 300 different antigenic determinants, the molecular structure of which is encoded by the corresponding gene alleles of chromosomal loci. The number of such alleles and loci is currently not precisely established.
Thus, in addition to ABO and Rhesus antigens, there are many other antigens.
For example, a person can be AB RhD-positive, and at the same time M and N-negative (MNS system), K-positive (Kell system) and Lea- or Leb-negative (Lewis system). Many blood group systems were named after the patient in whom the corresponding antibodies were first identified (these are soluble glycoproteins present in the blood serum that are used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects). |
