CASE 4 SEM 3

Inheritance of Blood Types

Blood type inheritance categorized in co dominance

 Occurs when alternative alleles are present in the genotype and fully
observed in the phenotype

E.g. ABO blood grouping system, where a single gene locus features multiple alleles- IA,
IB, and i. Individuals carrying alleles for both A and B express both in the phenotype AB

These charts show the possible blood type results for offspring.

Mothers's Type
Blood Type
O A B AB
O O O, A O, B A, B

A O, A O, A O, A, B, AB A, B, AB
Fathers'
Type B O, B O, A, B, AB O, B A, B, AB

A
A, B A, B, AB A, B, AB A, B, AB
B
CASE 4 SEM 3

Mother's Type
Rh Factor
Rh + Rh -
Rh
Father's Rh +, Rh - Rh +, Rh -
+
Type
Rh - Rh +, Rh - Rh -
RH system :

• Rh system is so named because it was first discovered in the blood of rhesus

monkey.
• There are six common types of Rh antigen (agglutinogen) C,D,E, c,d,e.
• The type D antigenic is more antigenic.
• Any one who have D antigenRh +ve
• Person who does not have D antigenRh –ve.
• About 85% of all population are Rh +ve

Recall:

• Alleles are different forms of a gene.

• A gene is a stretch of DNA that codes for a protein that may result in
a trait.
• An individual inherits an allele for each gene from each parent.
• Dominant Alleles – the phenotype is always expressed
• Recessive Alleles- the phenotype is only expressed when there are
no dominant alleles
• Codominant – both phenotypes are expressed
• Genotype is the specific allele makeup. (Expressed as the two allele
letters)
• Phenotype is the outward physical appearance, in the case of this
lab, the blood type

The Rh system is actually much more complicated than the ABO system because there
are more than 30 combinations possible when inherited, however for general usage, the
Rh proteins are grouped into two families - either positive or negative.

As with the ABO system, there is a dominant allele which happens to be the positive
family. This means that the genetic pairs that can exist in humans are as follows:

Genetic makeup Blood type

++ Rh positive
+- Rh positive
-- Rh Negative

The same inheritance rules apply as on the previous page:

Possible allele
Parents' Rh types Possible Rh in the children
combinations
CASE 4 SEM 3

Both + ++ & ++ ++ positive

Both + ++ & +- ++ or +- positive
poitive
Both + +- & +- ++ or +- or -- or
negative
Both - -- & -- -- negative
One + & One - ++ & -- +- positive
poitive
One + & One - +- & -- +- or -- or
negative
• Rh negative children can have parents that are either Rh positive or Rh negative.
• If both parents are Rh negative then the children will be Rh negative.