OLMatters - The School Paper
Capturing Memories for the Future
Vol XIII - August 2017 - July 2018
Blood Types
Seventeen 8th grade volunteers were tested in the Science laboratory to find out about their blood types and discuss possible transfusions among them. The majority of students (6) were blood type A+ (35%), followed by types O+ and AB+ (around 18% each), O- and B+ (12% each) and only one student B- (6%). There were no students representing the AB- and A- blood types. These results are somehow in line with the general distribution of blood types in Brazil (Wikipedia, 2017), considering that A+ (34%) and O+ (36%) are more common than the rare bloods A- (8%) and AB- (0.5%).
Regarding safe transfusions among them, blood type O is considered the universal donor while AB, the universal receiver. Due to the blood chemistry found in red blood cells (antigens x antibodies), O can only receive from itself, while AB can only donate to itself. Blood types A and B can receive from O and from its own type, and they can donate to AB and themselves. The Rh factor should also be considered in blood transfusions, as the positive sign (+) indicates the presence of a specific protein that cannot be transfused into a negative (-) blood type, lacking the same. Therefore, negative blood types are restricted to transfusions of its own, while positives can receive from both types of Rh.
Report written in collaboration with all 8th grade students.
- Dr. Carla Mendes
MS Science Teacher
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_type_distribution_by_country