AB positive blood type is known as the “universal recipient” because AB positive patients can receive red blood cells from all blood types.
Blood groups in Australia
According to Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, the percentage of blood group frequency in Australia is: O positive - 40% O negative - 9%
Only 7% of the population are O negative. However, the need for O negative blood is the highest because it is used most often during emergencies. The need for O+ is high because it is the most frequently occurring blood type (37% of the population). The universal red cell donor has Type O negative blood.
Who has the universal blood type? About 43% of the population has type O blood, either positive or negative. O positive blood can't be used universally because it has the Rh factor, but it is compatible with all positive blood types including O+, A+, B+, and AB+.
Theoretically yes, but it would be extremely rare. Two O parents will get an O child nearly all of the time. But as with anything in biology, there are occasional exceptions to this rule. New mutations -- or changes in the DNA -- are theoretically one way these kinds of uncommon scenarios can happen.
Of the eight main blood types, people with Type O have the lowest risk for heart attacks and blood clots in the legs and lungs. This may be because people with other blood types have higher levels of certain clotting factors, which are proteins that cause blood to coagulate (solidify).
A baby may have the blood type and Rh factor of either parent, or a combination of both parents. Rh factors follow a common pattern of genetic inheritance. The Rh-positive gene is dominant (stronger) and even when paired with an Rh-negative gene, the positive gene takes over.
Brothers and sisters don't always share the same blood type. The genotype of both parents plays a role in defining the blood type. For instance, children of parents with the genotypes AO and BO may have the blood types A, B, AB, or O. Thus, siblings do not necessarily have the same blood type.
Why is O negative blood important? O negative blood is often called the 'universal blood type' because people of any blood type can receive it. This makes it vitally important in an emergency or when a patient's blood type is unknown.
O negative is the universal blood type. O negative blood type can only receive O negative blood. O negative donors who are CMV negative are known as Heroes for Babies at the Red Cross because it is the safest blood for transfusions for immune deficient newborns. Learn more about how you can be a Hero for a Baby.
Contrary to popular belief, O- blood is not the rarest blood type. It is estimated 7 percent of the population has O- blood type while only 1% of the population has AB- blood.
The gene for type O is 'recessive', because if you have one gene for O and one for A, then you still end up with A antigens on your cell membranes, and the same goes for O and B. In order to be group O, you need both parent cells to be O. But group O is still more common simply because it is the ancestral form.
Fertility: a small study (544 women) performed did suggest that women with blood type O may be at a higher risk for what's called “diminished ovarian reserve.” More studies are needed in order to better understand this, so if you have blood type O, don't panic just yet.
However, this study, conducted by Australian Red Cross Lifeblood lead researcher Dr Rena Hirani, uses patient data, which is more reflective of the population, to show that in fact only 14% of the population have a negative blood type, and importantly, just 6.5% are O negative.
The blood type of a child is determined by both of the parents. Each parent donates an allele for the ABO blood group. The A and B blood alleles are dominant while the O is recessive, meaning that the O will not be expressed when dominant genes are present.
Rh incompatibility occurs when the mother's blood type is Rh negative and her fetus' blood type is Rh positive. Antibodies from an Rh negative mother may enter the blood stream of her unborn Rh positive infant, damaging the red blood cells (RBCs).
Monozygotic (identical) twins will have the same blood type, with a few very rare exceptions. Dizygotic (fraternal) twins may have the same blood type, or they may have different types. Therefore, it may be concluded that twins with differing blood types are dizygotic, or fraternal.
Taken together, the authors concluded that type O and Rh-negative blood groups may be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection and illness.
Dana Devine, shows that people with blood groups A or AB are more likely to have a severe COVID infection than people with blood groups B or O. The study looked at 95 patients critically ill with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the intensive care units (ICUs) of two major Vancouver hospitals.
Chances are higher you'll live longer if you have type O blood. Experts think your lowered risk of disease in your heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease) may be one reason for this.
Usually, you'll have the same blood type all of your life. In rare cases, however, blood types can change. The change usually relates to unique circumstances, such as having a bone marrow transplant or getting certain types of leukemia or infections. Not all of these changes in blood type are permanent.
Without drawing blood
A person may be able to use a saliva sample to test for their blood type. Around 80% of people produce the relevant antigens in their saliva. According to 2018 research , if a person secretes these antigens in their saliva, a dried saliva sample can reliably indicate their blood type.