The Rh factor (Rh antigen) is a protein found on the surface of red blood cells which can be either present (positive) or absent (negative). Blood type, on the other hand, is determined by markers known as antigens and antibodies. These are responsible for determining who can receive what type of blood safely in transfusions.
The Rhesus Factor—or Rh factor—is a protein which lives on the surface of red blood cells. This protein is called an antigen and it’s used to determine your ‘blood group’; whether you are A, B, AB or O positive/negative.
Put simply: if you do not have the Rh-factor antigen then you are considered Rh negative while those that do possess it test positive for the same condition. It is also important to remember that your particular set of alleles inherited from both parents will provide an individual with their own unique combination of antigens which may differ from siblings even though they share similar types and combinations of genes.
What is the rhesus factor, and how does it play a role in blood typing? What is the difference between blood type and Rh factor
The rhesus factor plays an important role in determining compatibility between donor and recipient during a blood transfusion. When someone receives a transfusion with incompatible blood, it can lead to serious complications such as fever and kidney failure due to haemolytic anaemia caused by the body’s defence reaction against foreign red blood cells containing these proteins. Therefore ensuring proper compatibility between donor and recipient’s Rh-factor status before any procedure takes place is essential for successful outcomes without any medical repercussions related to this specific form of incompatibility.
In some cases when there exists incompatibility between mother’s and baby’s rhesus factors during pregnancy – most notably when one party has negative rhesus factor while another carries positive one – certain conditions like fetal hydrops may arise where fluid accumulates within fetus due to incompatibility causing potential health risks including death if left unchecked or untreated.