According to reports, around 1 pm today, rare P-type blood required for the surgery of an 8-year-old girl with blood type P has arrived in Tianjin after the efforts of many people. There are only 9 registered individuals with P-type blood in the entire country, making it rarer than panda blood. With P-type blood being so scarce, is it hereditary?
Is P-type blood hereditary?
Experts explain that the P-type blood is caused by a spontaneous DNA mutation and cannot be inherited. The chances of P-type blood appearing in alternate generations worldwide is almost nonexistent. Children born to individuals with P-type blood will never have the same blood type. P-type blood can only occur within the same generation, and marriage cannot increase the population of individuals with P-type blood.
What kind of new blood type is P-type blood?
P-type blood is an independent blood type system separate from the ABO blood type system and the Rh blood type system. This blood type system includes P1, P2, and p types. Among them, the p type is the rarest, occurring at a probability of one in a thousand compared to the rarest panda blood type, Rh negative. It is extremely rare.
How is P-type blood tested?
The P-type blood system is similar to the ABO blood type system. Blood type testing can be done at a hospital, and the test can be completed in one to two minutes. Friends who do not know their blood type can take the time to get tested at a hospital. The cost is not high, and it can be done using centrifugation with a test tube and test paper.
Can universal blood type O replace P-type blood?
Some may ask, if it is P-type blood, can't we just rely on the universal blood type O? Can't it be used as a substitute? Experts explain that using O-type blood as a substitute for transfusion is only done as a last resort when blood sources cannot be found. O-type blood also contains antibodies against A and B, so injecting it into individuals with other blood types can still cause some adverse reactions.
