Summary of Why do blood types matter? - Natalie S. Hodge

00:00:00 - 00:00:00

The video discusses the importance of blood types in human health and explains how they are determined. It also explains how different blood types can affect compatibility for blood transfusions.

• 00:00:00 Blood types play an important role in human health, as they determine the compatibility of blood transfusions. There are four main blood types, A, B, AB, and O, and each person has two alleles of the gene that codes for the A and B antigens. When these alleles are different, one overrides the other and a person's blood type is determined. People with blood type AB produce both A and B antigens, so they are universal recipients. People with blood type O do not produce either antigen, so they are universal donors, but will cause their immune system to make antibodies that reject any other blood type. Rh+ or Rh- refers to the presence or absence of the D antigen of the Rh blood group system, and people with this antigen are unable to receive Rh- blood. Additional antigen systems present in different species complicate matching donors and recipients.