Why do people have different blood types and what does this affect?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

How do different blood groups differ from each other, what is the Rh factor and does it all affect health and character.

Why is blood divided into groups

Blood consists of plasma and cells floating in it - erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets. On the membrane of erythrocytes there are several hundred antigens - glycoproteins or glycolipids, the presence of which is determined by genetics. For the ABO system, two antigens are important: A and B. It is by their presence or absence that the blood group is determined.

1. Blood group A (II) - erythrocytes produce only antigen A.
2. Blood group B (III) - only antigen B is produced.
3. Blood group O (I) - no A- or B-antigens.
4. Blood group AB (IV) - there are both A and B antigens.

Also, depending on the blood group, the plasma may contain alpha (anti-A) and beta (anti-B) antibodies. These are protein compounds that react to foreign antigens and can trigger an immune response.

1. Blood group A (II) - there are anti-B antibodies in the serum.
2. Blood group B (III) - there are anti-A antibodies in the serum.
3. Blood group O (I) - there are both anti-A and anti-B.
4. Blood group AB (IV) - there is neither anti-A nor anti-B.

Why blood type is important for transfusion

If a person with blood group A is transfused with blood of group B, his anti-B antibodies in the serum will begin to react to antigens from donated blood, Blood Groups and Red Cell Antigens will stick to them and precipitate - agglutinate. As a result, blockage of blood vessels and death can occur.

That is why the blood type is always taken into account when choosing a donor.

1. If a person has blood group A, he can be given a transfusion of groups A and O.
2. If the person has blood type B, B and O can be transfused.
3. If the blood type is AB, any blood can be transfused. No antibodies, no problem.
4. People with group O can only be transfused with blood of group O. But they can become donors for any group, because they do not have antigens, which means that neither alpha nor beta antibodies will fight against such blood.

However, when transfusing, not only the blood group is taken into account, but also the Rh factor.

What is Rh factor

The Rh factor is the Rh factor blood test protein D antigen on the surface of red blood cells. If you have this protein, the Rh factor is positive (Rh +), if not, it is negative (Rh–).

If a person with Rh– receives blood with D-antigen, his body will start producing D-antibodies. This can cause the destruction of red blood cells. Therefore, Rh-negative blood of a suitable group can be transfused to any person, but Rh-positive - only to people with Rh +. At the same time, there are much fewer people with a negative Rh factor in the world than with a Rh-positive one - only about 15%.

In addition to blood transfusions, people with Rh– need to consider their exclusivity when planning a pregnancy. If a woman with Rh– develops an Rh factor blood test fetus with Rh +, some of its blood may come into contact with the mother's blood, resulting in antibodies. In the first pregnancy this is not a problem, but in the second and subsequent pregnancies, if a woman has a baby with Rh +, antibodies can pass through the placenta, damage the baby's blood cells and cause anemia.

How blood group and Rh factor are determined

An analysis is carried out in the laboratory: reagents with alpha and beta antibodies are added to blood samples and the reaction is monitored.

If there is antigen A in the blood, red blood cells will begin to clump when anti-B is added, and vice versa - blood with antigen B will clump when anti-A is added. Type AB blood will not react to any antibodies, but type O blood will react to everything.

It's the same with the Rh factor: anti-D is simply added to the blood. If there is a reaction - the person has Rh +, if not - Rh–.

Does blood type affect something else

They try to guess the character, choose a diet and profession by blood type. This is especially common in Japan - there, by blood type, they can choose an employee or partner, buy food and even towels.

All these classifications are at the level of horoscopes - many believe, but there is no evidence. We will look at some of the relationships that are based on scientific research.

Digestion

Blood type affects the body's ability to digest lectins without problems - the harmful Antinutritional properties of plant lectins are proteins in cereals and legumes, milk, seafood and eggs.

For example, lima bean extract causes red blood cell clumping only in group A, and winged bean extract only in group O red blood cells. However, most lectins interact Lectins in the United States diet: a survey of lectins in commonly consumed foods and a review of the literature with all blood types. Moreover, processed legumes break down lectins and do not harm people with any blood group.

Also, blood type can affect the ability to assimilate fatty foods. People with blood groups A and AB have significantly less Involvement of intestinal alkaline phosphatase in serum apolipoprotein B-48 level and its association with ABO and secretor blood group types, Serum levels of human alkaline phosphatase isozymes in relation to blood groups [alkaline phosphatase - an enzyme required for the metabolism of phosphorus and fatty acids - than in groups O and B. This may indicate a greater ability of the latter groups to digest Accelerated Fat Absorption in Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase Knockout Mice of fatty foods.

These features are taken into account in Peter D'Adamo's diet by blood group. However, to date, there is not a single major study of Blood type diets lacking supporting evidence: a systematic review, Theory behind popular blood-type diet debunked, ABO Genotype, ‘Blood-Type’ Diet and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, proving the effectiveness of his diet.

Health

Blood type can increase the risk of certain diseases.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD)

People with the O-group are 11% less at risk of developing coronary heart disease and generally have a reduced ABO blood group and risk of coronary heart disease in two prospective cohort studies, ABO blood group and risk of coronary heart disease in two prospective cohort studies, Identification of ADAMTS7 as a novel locus for coronary atherosclerosis and association of ABO with myocardial infarction in the presence of coronary atherosclerosis: two genome-wide association studies CVD risk. Compared to group O, people with group A are more at risk of myocardial infarction ABO blood group and ischaemic heart disease in British men, ABO genotype and risk of thrombotic events and hemorrhagic stroke, and people with group B are more at risk of ischemic stroke and venous thrombosis.

Cancer

1. Blood group A (II) … Increased risk of cancer ABO blood group system and gastric cancer: a case-control study and meta-analysis, Risk of gastric cancer and peptic ulcers in relation to ABO blood type: a cohort study of the stomach and infection with Helicobacter pylori, the main causative agent of stomach ulcers.
2. Blood group B (III) … Increased risk of pancreatic cancer ABO blood group and the risk of pancreatic cancer, esophagus ABO blood type, diabetes and risk of gastrointestinal cancer in northern China and bile ducts.
3. Blood group AB (IV) … Increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
4. Blood group O (I) … Increased risk of skin cancer ABO blood group and incidence of skin cancer, decreased risk of stomach and pancreatic cancer.

Scientists have not found a relationship between rectal cancer ABO blood group and risk of colorectal cancer, breast cancer ABO blood group and breast cancer incidence and survival, and blood group. But these types of cancer are highly dependent on lifestyle.

Physical indicators

Blood type affects physical indicators: strength, power, speed and coordination. Below we look at these characteristics and the sports in which a person with a certain blood type is more likely to succeed.

Blood group O (I)

People with this blood group are more often found among elite athletes, especially athletes and wrestlers, Research on chinese students the relations between blood types, types of temperament and sports. They are the enduring Influence of ABO blood group on sports performance and are rapidly gaining success in various sports. People with blood group I are predisposed to RELATIONSHIP OF BLOOD GROUP, VALUE AND SPEED OF TRAINING EFFECTS AS A SELECTION FACTOR IN BOXING for explosive work: sprints, martial arts, weightlifting.

What to try: athletics, sprinting, martial arts, weightlifting.

Blood group A (II)

People with the second blood group have low training in martial arts, but at the same time achieve success in technically difficult sports. A large percentage of people with blood group II meet the FREQUENCY OF THE PHENOTYPES OF BLOOD GROUPS (ABO) IN THE POPULATIONS OF ATHLETES AS A POSSIBLE CRITERION FOR ESTIMATING THEIR POTENTIAL MOTOR ABILITIES among weightlifters and gymnasts, in team sports.

What to try: weightlifting, gymnastics, tennis, football, volleyball, hockey, basketball.

Blood group B (III)

This blood group is characterized by the RELATIONSHIP OF THE BLOOD GROUP, VALUE AND SPEED OF TRAINING EFFECTS AS A FACTOR OF SELECTION IN BOXING, good speed and coordination, high training capacity Bulletin of the Baltic Pedagogical Academy Vol. 62 - 2005 - the ability to achieve great results in a short time. People with blood group III are more likely to achieve success in martial arts and other sports for which speed and coordination are important.

What to try: boxing and other martial arts, functional all-around.

Blood group AB (IV)

For people with blood group IV, there is a RELATIONSHIP OF BLOOD GROUP, VALUE AND SPEED OF TRAINING EFFECTS AS A FACTOR OF SELECTION IN BOXING. For such people, strength sports are suitable for which speed of movement is not required, such as powerlifting.

What to try: powerlifting, strongman.

This data can be used to search for your sport, but you should not take it as unbreakable rules. There are many other indicators that affect success, such as the number of muscle fibers of a particular type and the characteristics of the nervous system.

If you are not going to compete and build a career in sports, you can forget about these features and focus only on your feelings and desires.

At the amateur level, you can do any sport, regardless of blood type, stay healthy and enjoy your workout.

Personality

Several studies have tried to discover the connection between blood type and personality using popular psychological tests.

The Australian Blood type and personality study of 240 women and men found no connection between personality and blood type. This was not possible for Canadian scientists after polling Personality, blood type, and the Five-Factor Model of 400 people, nor for American researchers after analyzing the Blood type and the five factors of personality in Asia data from more than 2,500 Taiwanese students.

Even Japanese scientists have concluded No relationship between blood type and personality: Evidence from large-scale surveys in Japan and the US that the relationship between personality and blood type is less than 0.3%. Thus, there is no serious reason to believe that the blood type in any way affects the character.

conclusions

1. Blood type and Rh factor are important for blood transfusion. If the blood groups do not match, agglutination may begin - the clumping of red blood cells.
2. Blood type has some effect on digestion, however the blood type diet has not been proven to be effective.
3. Blood type affects the risk of CVD and cancer, but is not a determining factor in the occurrence of these diseases.
4. Blood type does not affect character and does not determine personality.