Virtual Genetic Lab Write-Up

VIRTUAL GENETICS LABORATORY WRITE-UP

The ABO blood group system is a standard method of determining the blood types among individuals . This system is based on the presence of specific antigens that are presented on the cell surface of the red blood cells or erythrocytes . In human beings , there are two types of antigens for cell-to-cell communication , namely the A and the B antigen The presence of a particular type of antigen in the body of an individual is very restrictive because there are specific antibodies that are present in the immune system

that are ready to combat any mismatches that are detected in the body . For example , if an individual carries red blood cells with the A antigen , then his body will carry antibodies that are specifically against the B antigen

The role of genetics in the ABO blood system is important to understand because it allows a better understanding of how blood transfusions work Extra caution should thus be performed in blood typing before an individual is given supplementary blood through transfusion because it is possible that an extreme allergic reaction may occur as soon as an incompatible blood type is introduced to a patient

It is also important to understand the in every gene , there are at least two alleles that confer different forms of a gene . Thus for the ABO system , the A antigen can be presented as a dominant (A ) allele or a recessive (a ) allele . An individual with a blood type A may thus carry...