Forensics Name _______________________________

Lab: Blood Type Analysis

Around 1890, Karl Landsteiner discoered t!at t!ere are at least "our di""erent #inds o"
!uman blood based on t!e presence or absence o" speci"ic a$$lutino$ens %a$$lutinatin$
anti$ens& on t!e sur"ace o" red blood cells %eryt!rocytes&' T!ese anti$ens !ae been
desi$nated as A and B' Antibodies a$ainst anti$ens A or B be$in to build up in t!e blood
plasma s!ortly a"ter birt!' T!e antibody leels pea# at about ei$!t to ten years o" a$e,
and t!e antibodies remain present in declinin$ amounts t!rou$!out t!e rest o" li"e' T!e
stimulus "or antibody production is not clear( !o)eer, it !ad been proposed t!at
antibody production is initiated by minute amounts o" A* and B* anti$ens t!at may enter
t!e body t!rou$! "ood, bacteria or by ot!er means' A person normally produces
antibodies a$ainst t!ose anti$ens t!at are not on !is eryt!rocytes but does not produce
antibodies a$ainst t!ose t!at are present on !is eryt!rocytes' T!us a person )it! anti$en
A !as anti*B antibodies( a person )it! B anti$ens !as anti*A antibodies( a person )it!
neit!er anti$en A or B %blood type +& !as bot! anti*A and anti*B antibodies( and a person
)it! bot! anti$ens A and B !as neit!er anti*A nor anti*B antibodies' T!e indiidual,s
blood type is based on t!e anti$ens, not t!e antibodies, !e !as'
-n 19.0, Landsteiner and /iener discoered anot!er $roup o" anti$ens on t!e sur"ace o"
red blood cells called 0! "actor' T!ey are called 0! "actors, because t!ey )ere "irst
"ound in r!esus mon#eys' About 812 o" 3aucasians, 9.2 o" Blac#s and 992 o" Asians
!ae 0! "actors on t!eir red blood cells' An indiidual )!o possesses t!ese anti$ens is
desi$nated 0!4( and indiiduals )!o do not possess t!em are desi$nated 0!*' 5nli#e t!e
AB+ system, antibodies to t!e 0! "actors are not normally present in t!e plasma, but are
produced upon e6posure to 0! "actors' 76posure to 0! "actors can occur durin$ a blood
trans"usion, i" 0!4 blood is trans"used into an 0!* recipient, or )!en an 0!* mot!er
carries a "etus )!o is 0!4'
T!e "our blood $roups are #no)n as types A, B, AB and +' Blood type +, c!aracteri8ed
by t!e absence o" A or B a$$lutino$ens, is t!e most common in t!e 5nited 9tates %.12 o"
t!e population&' Type A is ne6t in "re:uency, "ound in ;92 o" t!e population' T!e
incidence o" types B and AB are 1<2 and .2 respectiely'
Table 1: AB+ 9ystem
Blood type A$$lutino$ens
or Anti$ens on
7ryt!rocytes
A$$lutinins or
Antibodies in
=lasma
3an >ie
Blood to
>roups:
3an 0eceie
Blood "rom
>roups:
A A Anti*B A, AB +, A
B B Anti*A B, AB +, B
AB A and B Neit!er Anti*A
nor Anti*B
AB +, A, B, AB
+ Neit!er A nor B Bot! Anti*A
and Anti*B
+, A, B, AB +
=rocess o" A$$lutination
Blood typin$ is per"ormed )it! antisera containin$ !i$! leels o" anti*A and anti*B
a$$lutinins' T!e simple test is per"ormed as "ollo)s:
9eeral drops o" eac! #ind o" antiserum are added to separate samples o" blood' -"
a$$lutination %clumpin$& occurs only in t!e suspension to )!ic! only t!e anti*A serum
)as added, t!e blood type is A' -" a$$lutination occurs only in t!e anti*B mi6ture, t!e
blood type is B' A$$lutination in bot! samples indicates t!at t!e blood type is AB' T!e
absence o" a$$lutination indicates t!at t!e blood is Type +'
Table <: A$$lutination 0eactions o" AB+ Blood*Typin$ 9era
0eaction
Anti*A 9erum Anti*B 9erum Blood Type
A$$lutination
%clumps&
No A$$lutination
%no clumps&
Type A
No A$$lutination
%no clumps&
A$$lutination
%clumps&
Type B
A$$lutination
%clumps&
A$$lutination
%clumps&
Type AB
No A$$lutination
%no clumps&
No A$$lutination
%no clumps&
Type +
-mportance o" Blood Typin$
7arly attempts to trans"er blood "rom one person to anot!er produced aried results' -"
incompatible blood types are mi6ed, eryt!rocyte destruction, a$$lutination and ot!er
problems can occur' For instance, i" a person )it! Type B blood is trans"used )it! blood
type A, t!e recipient,s anti*A antibodies )ill attac# t!e incomin$ Type A eryt!rocytes'
T!e Type A eryt!rocytes )ill be a$$lutinated, and !emo$lobin )ill be released into t!e
plasma' -n addition, incomin$ anti*B antibodies o" t!e Type A blood may also attac# t!e
Type B eryt!rocytes o" t!e recipient )it! similar results' T!is problem can be serious, i"
a lar$e amount o" blood is trans"used'
T!e AB+ blood $roups and ot!er in!erited anti$enic c!aracteristics o" red blood cells are
o"ten used in medico*le$al situations inolin$ identi"ication or disputed paternity' -n
paternity cases, a comparison o" t!e blood $roups o" mot!er, c!ild and alle$ed "at!er,
may be introduced as eidence to e6clude a man )it! a particular blood $roup as a
possible parent o" t!e c!ild' For e6ample, a c!ild o" blood type AB )!ose mot!er is Type
A could not !ae as a "at!er a man )!ose blood $roup is +' Blood typin$ does not proe
t!at an indiidual is t!e "at!er o" a c!ild( it merely indicates )!et!er or not !e is a
possible parent'
/!eneer blood !as been s!ed, t!e identi"ication and typin$ o" t!e blood stains are o"
primary importance to t!e crime inesti$ator' T!e AB+ blood $roups are used to screen
our possible suspects inoled in a crime' T!e "irst step in t!e inesti$ation is to
distin$uis! t!e bloodstains "rom ot!er similar loo#in$ compounds suc! as "ruit ?uices,
?am, c!emicals, paint, etc' 9econdly, alon$ )it! a number o" sop!isticated tests to
determine t!e se6 o" t!e indiidual "rom )!ic! t!e blood came, and t!e a$e o" t!e blood
stain, a simple blood typin$ test is also per"ormed' Alt!ou$! a positie matc! o" t!e
suspect,s blood type is not su""icient to conict someone o" a crime, it is one type o"
eidence t!at is o"ten obtained durin$ a crime inesti$ation'
3rime 9cenario
A team o" crime inesti$ators )ere called to t!e scene o" a bur$lary' Late last ni$!t
someone bro#e into a ?e)elry store' 5pon arrial, t!e crime inesti$ators noticed t!at
seeral o" t!e $lass display cases )ere smas!ed, scatterin$ $lass t!rou$!out t!e store' A
closer inesti$ation o" t!e $lass "ra$ments reealed t!at small pieces o" )!at appeared to
be blood*stained clot!in$ )ere le"t be!ind' T!e pieces o" t!e clot!in$ material )ere
care"ully collected and sent to t!e "orensic lab "or analysis' A"ter t!e crime inesti$ators
care"ully reie)ed all o" t!e aailable eidence, t!ey appre!ended t!ree suspects'
+b?ectie
@our ?ob as a "orensic scientist is to proide crime inesti$ators )it! additional proo" in
order to determine )!ic! o" t!e suspects may !ae committed t!e bur$lary' @ou )ill type
t!e blood sample "ound at t!e crime scene to matc! its type )it! t!e blood samples dra)n
"rom ; suspects'
9!ared Aaterials:
Bial C suspect D1,s blood
Bial C suspect D<,s blood
Bial C suspect D;,s blood
Bial C crime scene sample
Bial C Anti*A serum
Bial C Anti*B serum
Bial C Anti*0! serum
>roup Aaterials:
. Typin$ trays
. Toot!pic#s E color
=rocedure 1:
1& 7ac! team )ill determine t!e blood type o" t!e t!ree suspects, and t!e blood at t!e
scene o" t!e crime'
<& 5se a )a6 pencil to label eac! o" your "our blood typin$ trays as "ollo)s:
Tray D.: 3rime 9cene
Tray D1: 9uspect D1
Tray D<: 9uspect D<
Tray D;: 9uspect D;
;& To determine t!e type o" blood "ound at t!e crime scene, place a drop o" t!e crime
scene sample in eac! o" t!e A, B and 0! )ells o" your blood typin$ tray D.'
.& Add <*; drops o" t!e anti*A serum on t!e sample t!at,s in t!e A )ell o" t!e tray'
1& Add <*; drops o" t!e anti*B serum on t!e sample t!at,s in t!e B )ell o" t!e tray'
F& Add <*; drops o" t!e anti*0! serum on t!e sample t!at,s in t!e 0! )ell o" t!e tray'
G& 5se separate toot!pic#s to stir eac! )ell o" anti*serum and sample' 0ecord your
obserations and results in t!e Hata Table' 5se a plus si$n I4J "or t!ose )ells t!at
s!o) reactions and a minus si$n I*J "or t!ose )ells t!at s!o) no reactions'
A"ter you !ae determined t!e type o" blood "ound at t!e scene o" t!e crime, you )ill
t!en type t!e blood o" t!e t!ree suspects'
=rocedure <:
1& =lace <*; drops o" 9uspect D1,s blood in eac! o" t!e A, B and 0! )ells o" Tray D1'
<& =lace <*; drops o" 9uspect D<,s blood in eac! o" t!e A, B and 0! )ells o" Tray D<'
;& =lace <*; drops o" 9uspect D;,s blood in eac! o" t!e A, B and 0! )ells o" Tray D;'
.& Add <*; drops o" anti*A serum in eac! A )ell o" t!e t!ree trays'
1& Add <*; drops o" anti*B serum in eac! B )ell o" t!e t!ree trays'
F& Add <*; drops o" anti*0! serum in eac! 3 )ell o" t!e t!ree trays'
G& 5se separate toot!pic#s to stir eac! sample o" serum and blood' Ho not reuse any o"
t!e toot!pic#s' T!is )ill cross contaminate your samplesK
8& 0ecord your obserations and results in t!e Hata Table' 5se a plus si$n I4J "or t!ose
)ells t!at s!o) reactions and a minus si$n I*J "or t!ose )ells t!at s!o) no reactions'
A$$lutination 0eactions Hata Table
Blood 9ource Anti*A
9erum
Anti*B
9erum
Anti*0!
9erum
Blood type +bserations
3rime 9cene
9uspect D1
9uspect D<
9uspect D;