Simulated Blood Typing Lab

Simulated Blood Typing Lab Purpose: The purpose of this lab activity is to simulate the blood typing tests that would take place in a medical laboratory and to gather data to determine the blood type of four fictional individuals. The simulated blood typing lab is a medical laboratory simulation of how blood is typed before a transfusion would take place. The antiserum will cause the red blood cells to clump if the antigen, or protein marker, is present on the surface of the red blood cells. For example, if the erythrocytes in the blood sample clump in the presence of the anti-A serum, this means that the A antigen is present on the surface of the red blood cells. Click here to view the data set for this lab and interpret the results below. Table 1 ABO/Rh Results for Patients W, X, Y, and Z Patient Wanda Anti-A Serum Anti-B Serum **fill in each box with clumping or no clumping** **fill in each box with clumping or no clumping** Clumping No clumping Anti-Rh (Anti-D) Serum **fill in each box with clumping or no clumping** Clumping Patient Xavier No clumping No clumping No clumping Patient Yanny No clumping Clumping Clumping Patient Zoey Clumping Clumping Blood Type **fill in each box with the blood type (A, B, AB, O and positive (+) or negative (-)** No clumping A+ O- B+ AB- Analysis: Answer these questions based on the data collected in the lab. 1. What is Xavier’s blood type? What antigens are present on the surface of the red blood cells? What antibodies are in Xavier’s blood plasma? Xavier’s blood type is O-. Since Xavier’s blood is O-, he has no antigens present on the surface of his red blood cells. The antibodies in Xavier’s blood plasma are anti-A and anti-B. 2. What is Yanny’s blood type? What antigens are present on the surface of the red blood cells? What antibodies are in Yanny’s blood plasma? Yanny’s blood type is B+. Since Zanny’s blood is B+, he has B antigens on the surface of the red blood cells. The antibody that Yanny has in their blood plasma is anti-A. 3. Zoey needs a transfusion. Which other patients could safely provide blood for Zoey’s transfusion? Remember, blood transfusions consist of packed red cells so your only concern is how the antibodies in Zoey’s blood plasma will interact with the antigens on the donated red blood cells. Since Zey’s blood type is AB-, the patient(s) that could safely provide her blood for her blood transfusion could be patient Yanda and patient Wanda. 4. Wanda has a baby with type AB blood and claims that Xavier is the father. Xavier says it is impossible but Wanda stands by her story. Use science to prove one of them wrong. Xavier cannot be the father of a baby that has type AB blood. Since he is O-, that means that he has no antigens present on the red blood cell surface. The antibodies in Xavier’s blood plasma are anti-A and anti-B. 5. Why will the Red Cross want Xavier to donate blood as often as possible? The Red Cross would encourage Xavier to donate blood as often as possible since O- is a universal blood type. O- can be used to help anyone, even if they are not O-. 6. Why will doctors closely monitor Zoey if she has a baby with a partner with Rh-positive blood? Would they be concerned with her first pregnancy? Second pregnancy? Explain. The doctors would monitor Zoey’s pregnancy if her partner has Rh-positive blood because since Zoey is Rh-, her body will recognize that that the Rh+ blood is not hers. What will then end up happening is the antibodies will begin to destroy the fetus’s red blood cells. 7. Why is a person with type O blood called a "universal donor"? A person with type O blood is called a “universal donor” because even if you don’t type O blood, you can still receive that blood transfusion. Type O blood is compatible with every blood type. 8. Why is a person with type AB blood called a "universal acceptor"? A person with type AB blood is called “universal acceptors” since this blood type has both antibodies, anti- A and anti-B as well as Rh antigen.