Blood Type Lab
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2Name ___________________________ Date __________________ Period _____ Score out of 25 _____
Corrected by __________________________
Blood Type Lab
What blood types can be mixed during transfusions?
People can have one of four types of blood: A, B, AB, or O.
A blood type is based on the presence or
absence of two proteins (A, B) on the surface of the red blood cells.
Because there are two proteins are involved, there are four possible combinations or blood types (ABO
groups):
• Type A –
Only the A protein is present.
• Type B –
Only the B protein is present.
• Type AB –
Both the A and B proteins are present.
• Type O –
Neither protein is present.
In addition to the A and B proteins, there is another protein involved called the Rh factor. The Rh factor is
either present (+) or absent (-). So, blood types are described as the type and Rh factor (such as O+, A+,
AB-). When someone takes the blood of another person (during surgery, or after an accident) it is called a
transfusion. If two different blood types are mixed together during a transfusion, the blood cells may
begin to clump together in the blood vessels, possibly causing death. Therefore, it is important that blood
types be matched before blood transfusions take place.
Materials
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5 clear cups
•
Yellow food coloring
•
Eye droppers
•
Blue food coloring
•
Water
•
Post-its
Form a hypothesis
(Change the question into a testable statement.) (Choose 2 types of blood that you predict can be
mixed during transfusions.)
________________________________________________________
1.
Procedure
a. Label the beakers:
•
Beaker #1 - TYPE A
•
Beaker #4 - TYPE O
•
Beaker #2 - TYPE B
•
Beaker #5 - PATIENT
•
Beaker #3 - TYPE AB
b. Fill beakers #1 – #4 three-quarters full of water.
c. Add 2 drops of yellow food coloring to beaker #1.
d. Add 2 drops of blue food coloring to beaker #2.
e. Add 1 drop of yellow food coloring and 1 drop of blue food coloring to beaker #3 (this will make the
water purple.)
f.
Leave beaker #4 alone.
g. To determine which transfusions are safe and which are not, think of blood types as different
colors.
•
If a color can receive another color without a color change, it is a safe transfusion.
•
If a color changes when you add the other color to it, it is an unsafe transfusion.
•
Make sure to look for a color change, not just the color getting lighter or darker.
h. Pour a small amount of water from beaker #1 into the patient beaker. The “patient” now has “Type
A blood”.
i.
Add some more color from beaker #1. The “patient” is now “receiving a transfusion of blood Type
A.”
j.
Record your observations as “Safe” or “Unsafe” to mix the types of blood.
k. Rinse out the patient beaker.
l.
Pour a small amount of beaker #1 into the patient cup. The “patient”, once again, has Type A
blood.
m. Pour a small amount water from the “Type B” beaker.
n. Record your observations.
o. Rinse out the patient beaker.
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