Blood Composition and Compatibility and Inheritance

Are you my Type?

Even though blood has been studied for thousands of years, the discovery of different blood types was not made until 1901 when Dr. Karl Landsteiner identified the ABO blood groups. Landsteiner was awarded a Nobel Prize for discovering that each blood type is based on two different antigens, A and B, which are molecules located on the surface of red blood cells. Students learned that the body will accept antigens of its own blood type but will attack blood if it possess the incorrect antigens.

In today’s lesson, students learned all about blood and participated in a hands-on laboratory activity investigating blood typing. Students used simulated blood to determine which friends could safely donate their blood to “Mrs. Potter” for a much-needed blood transfusion after a serious biking accident. Ask your student how they determined the appropriate blood donor!

Students also reviewed the concepts of complete dominance, incomplete dominance, and co-dominance using punnet squares. Students learned about Mendel’s experiments with peas to understand complete dominance. Incomplete dominance was explained by the presence of pink flowers when the parents are red and white flowers.  Lastly, blood types were used to explain co-dominance. The alleles for A and B are both dominant while the allele for O is recessive, giving rise to the four blood types we’re familiar with, A, B, AB, and O.

 

¿Eres de mi tipo?

A pesar que la sangre ha sido estudiada por miles de años, el descubrimiento de que existen distintos grupos sanguíneos no fue realizado hasta el año 1901, cuando el Dr. Karl Landsteiner identificó estos tres grupos sanguíneos: ABO. Landsteiner fue distinguido con el premio Nobel por descubrir que cada grupo sanguíneos se compone de dos antígenos diferentes, A y B. Estos antígenos son moléculas localizadas en la superficie de los glóbulos rojos.

En la clase del día de hoy, los estudiantes aprendieron acerca de la sangre, tuvieron la oportunidad de observarla bajo el microscopio y participaron en una actividad de laboratorio donde investigaron sobre los grupos sanguíneos. Los estudiantes usaron un sucedáneo de sangre para determinar quiénes de sus amigos podrían donar sangre de manera segura al Señor Potter, quien necesita de manera urgente una transfusión después de un accidente. Pregúntele a su hija o hijo cómo es que determinaron quién era el donante apropiado.

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