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How is your blood type determined?
Your blood type is determined by your genetic predisposition. This means that the blood type you have comes from the combination of genes you have inherited from your parents. Your blood type is determined using the ABO blood group system and the rhesus factor (Rh system).
ABO blood group system
Blood type is primarily determined by the ABO system, which is based on the presence or absence of specific antigens on red blood cells. There are four possible blood groups:
- Blood group A: Has A antigens on red blood cells and anti-B antibodies in blood plasma.
- Blood group B: Has B antigens on the red blood cells and anti-A antibodies in the blood plasma.
- Blood group AB: Has both A and B antigens and no antibodies, allowing people with this blood group to receive blood from all ABO groups.
- Blood type O: Has no A or B antigens, but has both antibodies. This makes people with blood type O universal donors within the ABO system.
The blood type you get depends on the genes you inherit from your parents. Each individual receives two ABO genes, one from the mother and one from the father.
How does the inheritance of blood groups work?
The ABO blood group is determined by the combination of two genes. This means that parents with different blood groups can pass on different combinations to their child.
- A parent with blood type A and a parent with blood type B can have a child with blood type A, B, AB or O.
- Two parents with blood type O will always have a child with blood type O, as they can only pass on the O gene.
- A parent with blood type A and a parent with blood type O can have a child with blood type A or O.
- Two parents with blood type AB can have a child with blood type A, B or AB, but never with blood type O.
This shows that blood type depends on genetic inheritance and certain combinations are not possible.
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Blood Type Self-test19.99 €
The rhesus factor and your blood group
Besides the ABO system, blood type is also determined by the rhesus factor (Rh system). This system determines whether a person is Rh-positive (Rh+) or Rh-negative (Rh-).
- Rh-positive (Rh+) means that the rhesus antigen is present on the red blood cells.
- Rh-negative (Rh-) means that this antigen is missing.
The rhesus factor is also inherited from the parents. The Rh+ gene is dominant, meaning that if you inherit an Rh+ gene from one parent and an Rh- gene from the other parent, you will be Rh-positive. Only if you inherit two Rh genes (one from both parents) will you be Rh-negative.
Why is the rhesus factor important?
The rhesus factor plays an important role in pregnancies and blood transfusions. An Rh-negative mother pregnant with an Rh-positive baby may develop an immune reaction against the baby’s blood. This can cause complications in certain cases, requiring medical attention.
Conclusion
Your blood type is genetically determined by the combination of ABO genes and the rhesus factor you inherit from your parents. Inheritance follows distinct genetic patterns, with some blood types being possible or not possible based on the combination of parental genes. Besides the ABO system, the rhesus factor plays an important role, especially in medical situations such as blood transfusions and pregnancies.
Do you want to know what blood group you have? This can be determined by a blood test at your GP’s office, a blood transfusion history or with a blood group self-test that is easy to perform at home.
