• Question: Why do humans have different blood groups?

    Asked by dh12uv1k31241 to Vee, Bob, Katie, Nisha, Sallie on 25 Jun 2012. This question was also asked by zaraa.
    • Photo: Vee Mitchell

      Vee Mitchell answered on 25 Jun 2012:

      I would imagine that the 4 blood groups have evolved as we have from different sources of very early man. Your blood group is inherited from your parents in the same way as your eye colour or hair colour so will be past on from generation to generation.
      There is some evidence that certain blood groups make you less prone to certain diseases, the prime example is malaria. People who have blood group O are less likely to die from malaria so you tend to see more of this blood type in areas where there is more malaria.

    • Photo: Bob Bonwick

      Bob Bonwick answered on 3 Jul 2012:

      evolutionary isolation. Different blood groups have different immune properties, though it’s been diluted since globlisation, so differnt areas of the world would have needed that extra help in defending the body.

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