

Inheritance and the ABO GeneĪBO blood type is an inherited trait. 40% have blood group A, 11% blood group B and the remaining 4% have AB blood. Red blood cells in blood type AB have both antigens and those in blood type O have no antigen at all.īlood group O is the most common, with 45% of people in the US having this type. Red blood cells in blood type B have B antigens on their surfaces.

Red blood cells in blood type A have A antigens on their surfaces. The ABO system has four major blood groups: A, B, AB, and O. The type of antigens that your blood cells have determine what blood type you have. There are three types of antigens that determine blood type – A type, B type and Rhesus (Rh). Red blood cells have substances on their surfaces called antigens. The function of these cells is to carry oxygen around the body, but they also determine what blood type you have, whether you are A positive or AB negative for example. Your blood contains a number of different types of cells, including red blood cells. Related: 7 Traits Babies Inherit From Their Mother What is Blood Type? There's no way to be sure what blood type your baby will have without a blood test, but you can narrow down the possibilities if you know your blood type and your partner's. This can affect the newborn baby, who may need treatment after birth.You might be pondering the question: “What blood type will my baby have?”īlood type is inherited from both biological parents. Sometimes an incompatibility may happen when the mother is blood type O and the baby is either A or B. This will prevent being sensitized if the baby is Rh positive. If the mother has not already been sensitized to Rh positive blood, she may be given Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg). Problems with the Rh factor happen when the mother's Rh factor is negative and the baby's is positive. If the father's genes are -, and the mother's are -, the baby will be: If the father's genes are -, and the mother's are + -, the baby can be If the father's genes are + - Rh-positive, and the mother's are + - Rh-positive, the baby can be: If a father's Rh factor genes are + +, and the mother's are -, the baby will have one + from the father and one - gene from the mother.

If a father's Rh factor genes are + +, and the mother's are + +, the baby will have one + from the father and one + gene from the mother. More specifically, consider the following: If a person has the genes -, the Rh factor will be negative.Ī baby receives one gene from the father and one from the mother. If a person has the genes + -, the Rh factor will also be positive. If a person has the genes + +, the Rh factor in the blood will be positive. The Rh-positive gene is dominant (stronger) and even when paired with an Rh-negative gene, the positive gene takes over: Rh factors follow a common pattern of genetic inheritance. A baby may have the blood type and Rh factor of either parent, or a combination of both parents. The following are the possible combinations of blood types with the Rh factors: If there is no Rh factor protein, the person is Rh- negative. If the Rh factor protein is on the cells, the person is Rh-positive. The Rh factor is a protein that is found on the covering of the red blood cells. The blood type is found as proteins on red blood cells and in body fluids. The blood type and the Rh factor simply mean that a person's blood has certain specific features. Blood Types in Pregnancy About blood typesĮvery person has a blood type (O, A, B, or AB) and an Rh factor, either positive or negative.
