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TeacherTeacher: 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.  Reading

 

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:

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