Certain recognition markers can sit on the surface of red blood cells. These markers are called antigens. In the ABO system, A and B antigens are especially important.
Antibodies are proteins in the blood plasma. They can bind very precisely to matching structures. This precise fit is often compared to the lock-and-key principle: a bond can only form if the shape of an antibody matches a specific antigen.
In a blood donation, it is therefore important which antigens are present on the red blood cells and which antibodies are found in the plasma. The simulation helps you observe these relationships without revealing the answers to the tasks in advance.
The ABO blood group is inherited. Simplified, a person receives one allele from each parent. The A and B alleles can both be expressed together, while the O allele does not produce an A or B antigen.
