Final answer:
Geneticists use white blood cells for genetic studies since they play a key role in the immune response and provide genetic data, while red blood cells contain hemoglobin and antigens that determine blood type.
Step-by-step explanation:
Geneticists often use white blood cells for genetic studies because they are primarily involved in the immune response and can provide a wealth of genetic information. These cells lack both nuclei and hemoglobin, unlike red blood cells, which contain hemoglobin responsible for oxygen transport.
Blood type is a genetic characteristic associated with certain molecules, called antigens, found on the surface of red blood cells. The most commonly known systems to determine blood type are the ABO and Rhesus blood type systems. These systems are essential for understanding blood transfusion compatibility and certain aspects of human genetics.
It is important to note that blood types are distinguished based on the presence or absence of different proteins inside the red blood cells, and the A, B, AB, and O blood types are designations of the phenotypes expressed by alleles coding for these cell surface carbohydrates.