Final answer:
Blood types describe the antigens on the surface of red blood cells. The main blood types are A, B, AB, and O. The Rh factor determines the presence or absence of the Rh antigen. When blood is transfused, a recipient's body can detect foreign proteins and initiate an immune response.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blood types are a way to describe the type of antigens or proteins on the surface of red blood cells. There are four main blood types: A, B, AB, and O. Type A blood has A glycoproteins, type B blood has B glycoproteins, type AB blood has both A and B glycoproteins, and type O blood lacks both A and B glycoproteins.
In addition to the ABO blood types, there is also the Rh factor, which determines the presence or absence of the Rh antigen on red blood cells. A person who is Rh positive has the Rh antigen, while a person who is Rh negative does not have the Rh antigen.
When blood is transfused, the recipient's body detects any new or foreign proteins. These foreign proteins are recognized by antibodies, which are proteins found in the blood plasma. If the blood type proteins on the transfused blood are different from the recipient's own blood type proteins, an immune response can occur. This immune response may lead to the clumping or agglutination of blood cells, which can be harmful to the recipient.