Lecture 6

Question 1

Who performed the first animal-to-animal blood transfusion and in what year?

Answer 1

Richard Lower in 1665.

Question 2

Who conducted the first human-to-human blood transfusion and in what year?

Answer 2

James Blundell in 1818.

Question 3

Who discovered the ABO blood group system and in what year?

Answer 3

Karl Landsteiner in 1901.

Question 4

What are the three alternative alleles in the ABO blood group system?

Answer 4

IA, IB, and iO.

Question 5

What is the genotype combination for blood type AB?

Answer 5

IA IB.

Question 6

What enzyme does the IA allele encode?

Answer 6

N-acetylgalactosamine transferase.

Question 7

What enzyme does the IB allele encode?

Answer 7

Galactose transferase.

Question 8

What is the function of the enzymes encoded by IA and IB alleles?

Answer 8

They decorate carbohydrates attached to lipids on the surface of red blood cells.

Question 9

What is a non-functional enzyme genotype in the ABO system?

Answer 9

iO allele.

Question 10

What blood types are considered universal donors?

Answer 10

Type O blood.

Question 11

What blood type is the universal recipient?

Answer 11

Type AB blood.

Question 12

What type of antibodies are present in a person with type O blood?

Answer 12

Anti-A and Anti-B.

Question 13

Which genotypes are possible for a person with blood type A?

Answer 13

AA and AO.

Question 14

Which genotypes are possible for a person with blood type B?

Answer 14

BB and BO.

Question 15

What is the Bombay phenotype?

Answer 15

A rare blood type where the H antigen is absent, making A/B/O genotypes irrelevant.

Question 16

What is the genotype for a secretor phenotype?

Answer 16

Se/Se or Se/se.

Question 17

What is the genotype for a non-secretor phenotype?

Answer 17

se/se.

Question 18

What is the function of the FUT2 gene?

Answer 18

Encodes the enzyme responsible for water-soluble antigens present in bodily secretions.

Question 19

Which blood groups are often used in paternity cases?

Answer 19

ABO blood groups.

Question 20

What is the significance of the agglutination assay?

Answer 20

It predicts ABO blood types and is used in paternity testing.

Question 21

What type of antibodies are anti-A and anti-B?

Answer 21

They are IgM antibodies.

Question 22

What is Rh incompatibility?

Answer 22

A condition where an Rh-negative mother carries an Rh-positive fetus, risking hemolytic disease of the newborn.

Question 23

What percentage of Europeans are Rh-positive?

Answer 23

Approximately 85%.

Question 24

Which gene encodes Rh proteins?

Answer 24

Two genes on chromosome 1.

Question 25

What are some examples of minor blood groups?

Answer 25

MN, Lewis, Duffy, Kidd, Kell, Lutheran, among others.

Question 26

What is the fluid mosaic model related to?

Answer 26

The structure of cell membranes, including red blood cells.

Question 27

What lipid type is particularly abundant in nerve cells?

Answer 27

Gangliosides.

Question 28

What are cerebrosides?

Answer 28

Ceramide molecules with a single sugar residue, major components in the myelin sheath.

Question 29

What is the risk of contracting hepatitis B from a blood transfusion?

Answer 29

Approximately 1 in 670,000.

Question 30

What is the estimated risk of contracting hepatitis C from a blood transfusion?

Answer 30

About 1 in 82 million.

Question 31

When was the last recorded case of viral infection from a blood transfusion in the UK?

Answer 31

In 2005.

Question 32

What is the significance of CPD-A1 solution?

Answer 32

It is a preservative solution used in blood storage containing citrate, phosphate, dextrose, and adenine.

Question 33

Why are platelets stored at 20-24°C?

Answer 33

To minimize bacterial contamination risk.

Question 34

What are some 21st-century innovations in blood transfusions?

Answer 34

Compatibility testing, anticoagulants, preservative solutions, refrigeration, blood banks, and more.

Question 35

What types of blood products can be separated for transfusion?

Answer 35

Plasma, platelets, whole blood, white cells, and red cells.

Question 36

What can ABO incompatibility lead to during pregnancy?

Answer 36

Increased risk of early miscarriages.

Question 37

What is the relevance of ABO blood type in disputed paternity cases?

Answer 37

It helps determine potential parentage based on offspring blood type.

Question 38

What is hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)?

Answer 38

A condition where a mother’s antibodies attack the red blood cells of the fetus.

Question 39

What are examples of blood group systems inherited independently from ABO?

Answer 39

Kell, Duffy, Kidd, among others.

Question 40

What is vCJD in the context of blood transfusions?

Answer 40

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare, degenerative brain disorder.

Question 41

Which blood group has anti-B antibodies?

Answer 41

Blood group A.

Question 42

Which blood group has anti-A antibodies?

Answer 42

Blood group B.

Question 43

Which blood group has no anti-A or anti-B antibodies?

Answer 43

Blood group AB.

Question 44

What is a major characteristic of secretor phenotypes?

Answer 44

They have water-soluble antigens in body fluids such as saliva and sweat.

Question 45

How is the Rh-negative genotype represented?

Answer 45

As rh/rh.

Question 46

What blood type combination often results in more type O offspring?

Answer 46

Female O x male A or B.

Question 47

What is the ABO frequency's significance?

Answer 47

It highlights the distribution of blood types across populations.

Question 48

What technology is used for infectious disease testing in blood donations?

Answer 48

Nucleic acid testing (NAT) and ELISAs.

Question 49

What are allergic reactions during blood transfusions often associated with?

Answer 49

Plasma transfusions.

Question 50

What advancements have improved blood donor safety?

Answer 50

High-risk donor screening and infectious disease testing.