It is a known fact that only identical twins will ever have the same antigens.
This is all well and good for, but when it comes to blood transfusions there are two important systems of antigens which need to be matched to avoid serious complications.
The ABO System
If you have blood group A then you've got A antigens covering your red cells.
Blood group B means you have B antigens, while group O has neither, and group AB has some of both.
The ABO system also contains lots of little antibodies in the plasma, antibodies being the body's natural defence against foreign antigens.
So blood group A has anti-B in their plasma, blood group B has anti-A (you probably get the picture at this stage).
To complicate matters though, group AB has none and group O has both of the antibodies.
Which means giving someone blood from the wrong ABO group could be fatal.
The anti-A antibodies in group B attack group A cells and vice versa.
Which is why group A blood must never be given to a group B person.
Group O negative is a different story anyone who has the blood group O Negative is classed as a universal donor.
If you have blood group A then you've got A antigens covering your red cells.
Blood group B means you have B antigens, while group O has neither, and group AB has some of both.
The ABO system also contains lots of little antibodies in the plasma, antibodies being the body's natural defence against foreign antigens.
So blood group A has anti-B in their plasma, blood group B has anti-A (you probably get the picture at this stage).
To complicate matters though, group AB has none and group O has both of the antibodies.
Which means giving someone blood from the wrong ABO group could be fatal.
The anti-A antibodies in group B attack group A cells and vice versa.
Which is why group A blood must never be given to a group B person.
Group O negative is a different story anyone who has the blood group O Negative is classed as a universal donor.
The Rh system
Well, it gets more complicated here on in, because there's another antigen to be considered - the Rh antigen.
Some of us have it, some of us don't.
If it is present, the blood is RhD positive, if not it's RhD negative.
So, for example, some people in group A will have it, and will therefore be classed as A+ (or A positive).
While the ones that don't, are A- (or, wait for it...A negative).
And so it goes for groups B, AB and O.
This effectively doubles the number of different blood types to be matched, because you shouldn't mix blood type A+ with blood type A-.
Well, it gets more complicated here on in, because there's another antigen to be considered - the Rh antigen.
Some of us have it, some of us don't.
If it is present, the blood is RhD positive, if not it's RhD negative.
So, for example, some people in group A will have it, and will therefore be classed as A+ (or A positive).
While the ones that don't, are A- (or, wait for it...A negative).
And so it goes for groups B, AB and O.
This effectively doubles the number of different blood types to be matched, because you shouldn't mix blood type A+ with blood type A-.
Blood Group Statistics for the UK
O Blood:
O Posetive - 37%
O Negative - 7%
A Blood:
A Posetive - 35%
A Negative - 7%
B Blood:
B Posetive - 8%
B Negative - 2%
AB Blood:
AB Posetive - 3%
AB Negative - 1%
Please Note: Some information was collected from The National Blood Service.
thank you Emma your sight has been very helpful and informative. I am rh neg and so is my nephew. my sister is ab neg. But the rh neg informative you have comiled has created foundation to aspects of myself that you find difficult to explain to other people. thank you elle
ReplyDeleteHi Eloise,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read this blog I am currently looking into more information myself, and am looking to post more soon. If you have any questions please don't be afraid to ask and I will see if I can help you.
Many thanks for reading and commenting
Emma xx
Please beware of "memes" all over the Internet about RH negative blood. Much of it is not helpful and has no scientific basis. All these "traits" in the lists out there apply to all blood types- it is almost as bad as the "Indigo Children" bunk out there. Im not saying anything negative about your blog post. I just like to caution other negs about the crap that prevails- like we are aliens and fallen angel offspring or devil children, increase physic abilities and such.
ReplyDeleteHi pumibel, I am aware of these being only "theories" with no scientific proof, I am currently studying for my degree and haven't had a great deal of time to post anything. The problem is that the lack of information about Rh Negative blood groups means people jump to their own conclusions, it is clear that most of this is guess work by those wanting to understand something that no one yet fully understands. I must say that I did mention that many of the articles I had read were indeed conspiracy theories and that science has no proof of where Rh blood comes from this was my way of warning others that much of the information out there is indeed speculation. I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment.
ReplyDeleteKind regards
Emma xx
hi,
ReplyDeletethis is radhika from india. i was very much happy to see articles regarding the same blood group.
i got birth to my child 3 years back, who is o positive(my husband's blood group). after my delivery i am feeling very weak. if anyone have vision or idea about this,please share.
as written in this article i do have the problem of indigestion and my younger brother of my same blood group have the problem of indigestion.
i heard thru someone that the mosquito bite is compartively less. interesting......... i too have the experience of less mosquito bite.
People can say what they wish but the fact is RH neg type O is the universal donor type. We can give blood to anyone with any positive blood type but we would die if we received a positive transfusion. Our blood must be the original human type due to this fact that our blood saves lives. Our blood must contain the true pure life force or it would kill instead of save. I also grow disgusted with people who would like to make us something evil. I find those with RH neg blood to be more aware and concerned greatly for what is going on in this world. They are kind and peace and truth seekers. Great blog Emma.
ReplyDeleteDear Emma,
ReplyDeleteI am an Asian, a Vietnamese. I am so happy to find out this site because just now I knew that I belong to a very rare human's blood type group.
I knew my blood type long time ago when I was 16 years old (well, I am 24 now), the nurse tested my blood for the throat's surgery. The nurse showed me the blood type is O RH-. At that moment I didn't know what RH- meant.
I thought O type sounds noble because the O type can give to other blood types but not any blood type could give O type. I thought RH- or RH+ didn't mean anything, possibly it's just note of the doctor. Well, in Vietnam, there is only 0,04% of popuation carry this rare blood type.
Then when I went to Switzerland for studying (I lived there 4 years), many times I got sick and I needed to see the doctors as well as stayed in hospital for health check. Every doctor, or every health check, always concluded me one thing: Your blood is so strange!
I didn't understand, I thought might be I drunk too much water and it mixed up in my blood? But as long as there was no health problem, it made me happy, that's enough!
Today, just surprisingly I played a game; actually it was a test about what kind of blood type I have to know how I am. I checked up on internet and just realized the blood type as I have now.
I remember everything the doctors in Switzerland told me after every health check and remember the blood type O RH- on the paper. I'm scared. My parents are in Saigon now, I asked them to go to the hospital and check quickly to let me know which one of them have the blood type which is same to me. I think possibly my father got the same blood type as I have now because I have a brother, when my mother was pregnant, she was absolutely fine! It could be a big trouble in Vietnam to have this kind of blood type for Transfusion in case of accident or something.
I wonder if there are any website or group of people in Canada and anywhere else in the world knows about this kind of blood type to help each other like we are doing now on this web.
Thank you so much for your information on this web, I found myself a bit proud as you said: it's a pure blood and it's "Universal Donor".
God blesses all of us who carry very strange destinies and challenge lives.
Wish all you guys a very happy Christmas and a lucky healthy New Year 2011 up coming!
Kindest regards
Helen Le.
P/S: I want to be your friend, if you have Facebook, please let me know your nick and Email. Mine: ledaphuong@yahoo.com
To everyone who has commented since my last comment,
ReplyDeleteI am very grateful that people have taken the time to read what little information I have available here, I am currently reading through numerous academic texts and articles on this topic. However I am currently at university and am getting very little time to dedicate to this, I will continue to post as I find the time and also will try to only provide informative information. Any feedback that you have is greatly appreciated.
Best Wishes
Emma x
You may want to read a history of the Basques and Cro Magnon discoveries in France. The RH negative blood comes from this prehistoric man that had larger head size, female dominated, cave dwelling societies. It is surmised the oldest paintings, 30,000 old cave paintings in France were painted by a woman, since the stencils of hands were more female than male. You may also want to read about recipes for RH negative blood, since we don't have certain enzymes that others do and certain proteins like gluten can be harmful.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was funny when I went to my chiropractor for the first time, and upon looking at the X-rays he took, said "you have O Negative blood don't you?"
ReplyDeleteI suppose the confused and crazy look on my face (as I could not figure out what in the world my sore back had to do with my blood type) prompted him to explain that a majority of O Negatives have an extra vertebra.
It piqued my interest and have been looking for material on it ever since. Although mostly every thing I find is a little to out there for me. I'm not interested in being told I am an alien or a dark shade of purple child, or psychic.
Emma and fellow bloggers just returned from Basque country -being rh- myself I have spent a lot of my travels delving into the anomalies associated with the rh- factor.I thought you would be interested in my findings, I have not compiled them as yet (only back yesterday). My discoveries are based on historical accounts found in Basque area and my own deliberations.
ReplyDeleteI can be found at catwheels0@yahoo.com
P.S. the last blogger may want to take account of ribs as well as vertebra
Emma,
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your time spent and information. I am Rh- and have experienced vivid dreams, a sense of healing that I can set forth. My lover and I have lost a child, as he is O + but have since had 2 beautiful children since I got the Rhogram shot, I had no idea I was O- since the loss of our child. Do you know anything about the Rhogram shot? What it does to Rh- if anything at all? if you do please find me at v1brantv1olet@gmail.com Thank you
Emma, feel free to join our rh negative network on FB, would love to have you there:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/groups/190813884313671/?id=193618984033161¬if_t=group_activity
Mike
Emma,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this great blog! I am a fellow O- and I am the text book case lol. Red hair, bright blue with dark green only in the middle eyes, pale skin, very psychic (98% tested accuracy) and a long range Empath (not a lot of fun, lol) and have NEVER felt that I belong here. I have always had a homesickness for somewhere but no clue where that is. My daughter is O+ and they didn't give me the injections and I almost lost her 20 times : ( they scheduled genetic testing for me while pregnant but it was later than it should have been. They refused to give me the test results and now say they don't know where they are. Anyway, its good to see others like me. Best wishes for health and happiness to everyone : )