Blood groups?

[crazyowl]

I was asked by my 14 year old daughter why there are different blood groups? She knows the 4 main groupings A, B, AB & O and about rhesus positive and negative.
What we do not know is where these differences orginated and when?
I would be grateful for any help that anyone can offer. Many thanks in advance.

[sddsddean]

Got to www.blood.co.uk and click on 'about blood'. There a brief history and about blood groups..

[crazyowl]

Many thanks the link was very helpful. In that we do not know why or when the groups appeared

[beso]

Rh Negative is most predominant in the Basque region of Spain. In Britain it is mosly along the south west coast where Spanish sailors sometimes ended up settling after shipwrecks

[Vagrant]

I've read several books on evolution by Richard Dawkins - I'm pretty sure in one of them he reckons blood groups are genetic mutations, caused when groups of people get geographically separated. If I had a better memory I'd be able to tell you which book!

[crazyowl]

The blood is grouped according to various antibodies that are found in them. It is mainly used when giving blood to people during surgery or following accidents as certain antibodies react against each other and cause clotting and other problems that are unwanted. If my memory is correct the Rhesus neg/pos is an antibody tat was first isolated in the rhesus monkeys. The groups A B AB and O are just further ways to describe the differences. Again I think O neg is considered the universal doner and AB positive can have blood from any group at all. I hope this helps a bit