Research and Development - MEDICAL LABORATORY
TECHNICIAN
Who
will be my donor?
Primary
Middle Secondary
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Numeracy
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Personal and social capability
Teacher:
This
activity is based on the ABO and Rhesus blood types - it can be printed as a
Word doc. You will need to laminate and print off the table before
commencing this activity.
Students: please read the
following background information before commencing the activity instructions
below.
Blood groups
Information
(Source:
Better Health Channel -Victorian Government)
Summary
The circulatory system consists of the heart,
blood vessels and blood. The blood carries oxygen and nutrients to very cell
in the body and picks up waste products (such as carbon dioxide) for removal
from the body.
The bulk of your blood is made up of plasma. Floating in the plasma are the
red blood cells that carry oxygen, the white cells that form part of the
immune system, and clotting cells called platelets.
The two main ways to classify blood groups are the ABO system and the Rh
system. Together, they make up the eight main blood groups. Other blood
group systems exist – to date, researchers have identified around 300
minor blood groups.
The ABO blood group
The four different blood groups in the ABO system are A, B, AB and O. A
person’s blood group is determined by a pair of genes, one gene inherited
from each parent.
Each blood group is identified by its own set
of molecules (called antigens), which are located on the surface of red
blood cells. When a person needs a blood transfusion, the donated blood must
match the recipient’s blood or complications will occur.
The Rh type blood factor
A person’s blood type used to be called their ‘Rhesus type’ but now we say
‘Rh type’. Your Rh type is determined by a different pair of genes to the
ones that determine your ABO blood type (again, one inherited from each
parent). Blood is either Rh-positive or Rh-negative, depending on whether
certain molecules are present. A person who is Rh-negative will experience a
severe immune-system reaction if Rh-positive blood gets into their
bloodstream.
Blood groups in Australia A person’s blood group is described by the
appropriate letter (A, B, AB or O) and by whether their blood is Rh-positive
or Rh-negative.
Australian Blood Type Percentages
According to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, the percentage of blood
group frequency in Australia is:
|