Blood Type Testing Lab

Nam V. & Paparwarin S. 11-4

Introduction
:
Multiple allelic traits
contain more than two alleles that represent a combination of
dominance patterns. One of the alleles probably is completely recessive to others, and is hidden
2
by the alleles those recessives are dominant too.
Because it is multiple alleles, there are more
than two phenotypes that are possible according to the dominant or recessive alleles presenting
in the trait and the dominance pattern since the individual allele will be a combination of those
1
two together.
In addition, incomplete dominance and codominance are the examples of
multiple allelic traits. Exhibition of
Incomplete dominance
is when heterozygote has an
intermediate phenotype between two homozygotes. One allele is not completely dominant over
the other heterozygous condition somewhere in between. It is not same as the blending theory
of inheritance because there can be reappearance of phenotype in later generation. For
example, when pink plants self-pollinate, the offspring plants have phenotypic ratio of 1
red-flowered : 2 pink-flowered : 1 white-flowered. Moreover, the condition in which two alleles
of the heterozygote completely expressed is called
codominance
. In human ABO blood type,
A
B
type AB blood is codominance. From AB blood type, the alleles represent as I
and I
. It refers
that the red blood cells have both A antigens and B antigens on their surface, so, both of the
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alleles are completely expressed.
The essential blood types in medication are in the
ABO group
. The discovery of this blood
group changed the misconception that humans blood is all the same type, and had saved many
4
lives of people who have different blood types from blood transfusion.
According to the
discovery, humans and primates in fact represent with only these four blood types: A ,B, AB, and
3
O

humans can get alleles for the blood type either from mom or dad, or a mix of their alleles.
Furthermore, a study of blood donation in human portrays that some people are able to donate
to and accept only some blood types. To demonstrate, people who have blood A type can only
donate blood to A and AB, and they can only accept blood from people have blood O and A
types. Moreover, people who have blood B type are the same A blood donor, the difference is
that these people can only receive blood O and B types. In contrast with blood AB type, people
who have this blood type can receive blood from all other types, but can only donate to people
having the same blood AB type. Another blood type is O, people who have blood O type are
considered universal donors for that they can donate blood to all other types, but they can
receive blood from O donors only.
Nevertheless, blood type would not matter for humans who do not need blood
transfusion, but for those who do, that is when antigen and antibodies play the important roles.
Antigen
is a large protein molecule found on the surface of red blood cells that represent each

individuals blood type. The factor distinguishing particular antigens to others is called
5
antibodies
, summoned to attack a foreign antigen.
When a foreign antigen is found, an
antibody will bind to it that lead to agglutination or bursting of red blood cells. To illustrate,
during the experiment when we dropped an anti-A (antibody) in the blood (B type) there was no
coagulation occur because B antigen in the blood and its anti-A resisted to interact with a
foreign substance or anti-A we dropped in, but it would rather coagulate with anti-B and anti-AB
because it has type B antigen. This explains why some people are unable to transfer blood to
people who have different blood types. In some cases, however, people can transfuse blood to
people having different blood types such as people having type O blood who are universal donor
which allow them to be able to donate blood to A, B, and AB. In a meanwhile, they can only
receive blood from donors who have type O blood because it contains anti-A and anti-B, which
will act against all other blood types except O, if they receive those other blood types that are
strange to their blood, they will die.
For this experiment, our purpose is to determine the possible blood type of an individual
by using anti-A, anti-B, and anti-AB in order to observe which antibody interacts with the blood.
To conduct this blood type test, first of all, draw two of 1-cm circles titled Control, anti-A on
the first slide, and draw other two titled anti-B and anti-AB on another slide. Next, a
qualified
person will come and puncture the tip of your finger. Then, drop a single drop of blood in each
circle. After that, drop antibodies according to each circles title. Lastly, wait approximately ten
minutes and observe the result.

Purpose:
Determine blood type of an individual by using anti-A, anti-B, and anti-AB.
Materials
:
2 Microscope Slides

Lancet Device

Anti-A, -B, -AB

Ethanol

Markers

Cotton Ball

Lancets

3 toothpicks

Procedures:
1. Draw 1-cm two circles on each slide.

2. Mark each circle: Control, Anti-A, Anti-B, and Anti-AB.

3. Get a tip of finger punctured by a qualified person.

4. Put a drop of blood in each circle.

5. In each circle:
a. Anti-A: drop a single drop of anti-A
b. Anti-B: drop a single drop of anti-B
c. Anti-AB: drop a single drop of anti-AB
* Do not put any antibody into circle Control

7. Mix the blood and the antibody by using different toothpicks.

8. Wait approximately 10 seconds.
9. Observe and record the result in the table.

Results
:
Changes of the blood after antibodies dropped
Circles title

Changes

Control ( blood )

Anti-A ( blood + anti-A )

No Coagulation

Anti-B ( blood + anti-B )

Coagulation

Anti-AB ( blood + anti-AB )

Coagulation (little)

Discussion
:
For our blood tester, Nam Vanichchai, all of her mother, father, and herself have blood B
type. We figured out her blood type by involving antigen and antibodies in the experiment. Her
blood only coagulated with anti-B and anti-AB, which demonstrated that she her blood is
genotypically either I BI B or I Bi . In addition to this, it is also possible for her to contain O blood
type because both of her mother and father have phenotypically B blood type that can
represent in genotype as I Bi . In this case, possibility of giving their child B and O blood type is
3:1 (B:O).
On the other hand, Auey, who did not get her blood tested, only perceived that her
blood is phenotypically AB and her mothers and fathers are AB and A respectively. Henceforth,
we figured out that there are 2 more possible scenarios when we drew a Punnett square. Since
her mothers blood type is AB, her genotype will be only I AI B . And her fathers blood type is A,
his genotype can be either I AI A or I Ai . Thus, if her fathers genotype is I AI A and had a child with
the mother, they will have a kid who contains genotype I AI A or I AI B (A or B) with a ratio of 1:1.
In contrast, if fathers genotype is I Ai and mated with the mother, their kid would possibly have
these genotypes: I AI A : I AI B : I Ai : I Bi which affect her blood type to either be A or AB or B with a
ratio of 2:1:1.
As the result of the experiment, the blood of Nam Vanichchai only coagulated with
anti-AB and anti-B which demonstrates that her blood type is B. The reason that blood such as
hers only coagulated with some antibodies is because each blood type contains different
identified antibodies that resist other blood types to defend themselves from pathogen. For
instance, blood A type contains has A antigen and contains antibody B that would act against
foreign B blood type that is foreign to A blood. In our experiment, Nams blood coagulated with
anti-B and anti-AB because it contains antibody A, it therefore would not cuddle with anti-A
because it resists blood A type and the reaction called coagulation would not occur.

Blood tested
: Nams blood
The blood type of mum : B
The blood type of dad : B
Scenario 1

P
I BI B

I BI B

F1
IB

IB

IB

I BI B

I BI B

IB

I BI B

I BI B

Genotype = 4 I BI B
Phenotype = 100% B
Scenario 2
P

I BI B

I Bi

F1
IB

IB

IB

I BI B

I BI B

I Bi

I Bi

Genotype = 2 I BI B : 2 I Bi

Phenotype = 100% B
Scenario 3
P

I Bi

I BI B

F1
IB

IB

IB

I BI B

I BI B

I Bi

I Bi

Genotype = 2 I BI B : 2 I Bi
Phenotype = 100% B
Scenario 4

P
I Bi

I Bi

F1
IB

IB

I BI B

I Bi

I Bi

ii

Genotype = 1 I BI B : 2 I Bi
Phenotype = 3 B : 1 O

: 1 ii

Non-blood tested
: Auey
The blood type of mum : AB
The blood type of dad : A
Scenario 1

P
I AI B

I AI A

F1
IA

IB

IA

I AI A

I AI B

IA

I AI A

I AI B

Genotype =

I AI A :

I AI B

Phenotype = 2 A : 2 AB
Scenario 2

P
I AI B

I Ai

F1
IA

IB

IA

I AI A

I AI B

I Ai

I Bi

Genotype = 1 I AI A : 1 I AI B

: 1 I Ai

: 1 I Bi

Phenotype = 2 A : 1 AB : 1 B

Conclusion
:
From the experiment, we learned that antigen coagulates with same type of antibody.
When B blood type, which has B antigen, and anti-B antibody were mixed, the reaction could be
a precipitation caused by agglutinating of the red cells as well as coagulation. As we know, there
are few differences between each blood type. Red blood cell was composed of the specific kinds
of antigens found on the red blood cells surfaces and it is composed of opposite antibody in
plasma. For instance, red blood cell of type B blood has B antigens on the surface and it has
anti-A antibody in plasma. In this experiment, we figured out that Nams blood type is B because
when B antigen mixed with anti-B antibody, the coagulation occurred.
Into the bargain, we were able to identify blood type of our blood tester, Nam
Vanichchai, which her blood is B type. According to the result, it indicates that there is change
after we put substance called anti-B antibody and anti- AB antibody into Nams blood. The
coagulation formed on both circles marked B and AB. Nevertheless, we observed that the
blood mixed with anti-B obviously coagulated more than the blood mixed with anti-AB. The
circle marked B can distinguishable see as coagulation because type B blood has genotype I BI B
or I Bi which I B allele expressed as dominant hidden i allele (this condition was called complete
dominance). Once anti-B antibody was mixed with the blood (type B blood), the consequence
was coagulation, caused by the reaction of anti-B antibody and B antigen. Whereas, the circle
marked AB has a little of coagulation because AB blood type has genotype I AI B which both I A
and I B alleles expressed equally called codominance. When we put a drop of anti-AB antibody
into the blood (type B blood), anti-AB antibody reacted with B antigen causing coagulation, but it
was not coagulate with A antigen.
Both of Nams parents have type B blood. From the Punnett Square above, there were 4
scenarios illustrate all possible of Nams genotypes and blood types. Nam has all chances to have
type B blood if her parents have genotypes which either are I BI B or I Bi by these crosses : I BI B x
I BI B and I BI B x I Bi . However, she also has very little chance to have type O blood if her parents
both have I Bi genotype ( I BixI Bi ) . For Nams possible genotype, she has chance to have only
I BI B genotype if her parents both have genotype as I BI B . Also, she has another chance to have
I Bi genotype if either of her mom or dad has I Bi genotype ( I BI B x I Bi ).

Resources:
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What is A Multi-Allele Trait?
. Retrieved from
http://education.seattlepi.com/multiallele-trait-4252.html
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Blood Type.
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http://genetics.thetech.org/ask/ask71
3. Scoville, H. (N.A.).
Multiple Allele.
Retrieved from
http://evolution.about.com/od/Evolution-Glossary/g/Multiple-Alleles.htm
4. NCBI. (N.A.).
Blood Groups and Red Cell Antigens.
Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2267/
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What Are Blood Group Antigens All About?.
Retrieved from
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-are-blood-group-antigens-all-about.ht
ml
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Blood Components.
Retrieved from
http://anthro.palomar.edu/blood/blood_components.htm
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2015.

Retrieved from

http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/fancher/dominance.htm