What is the blood type of a person whose plasma contains only
anti-B clumping proteins?
Is it blood type A?
Yes, a person whose plasma contains only anti-B clumping proteins would have blood type A. Blood type is determined by the presence or absence of certain antigens on the surface of red blood cells. In the case of blood type A, individuals have A antigens on their red blood cells and produce anti-B clumping proteins (also known as antibodies) in their plasma. These antibodies recognize and bind to the B antigens, leading to clumping or agglutination of the blood cells if they encounter B antigens.
To determine someone's blood type, blood typing tests are performed. In these tests, a small sample of blood is mixed with solutions containing antibodies specific to the A and B blood group antigens. If the blood cells clump when mixed with the anti-B antibodies, it indicates the presence of B antigens on the cells and the blood type is not A.
However, if the plasma contains only anti-B clumping proteins, it means the person's blood will not clump when mixed with anti-B antibodies. This suggests that there are no B antigens present on the red blood cells. Therefore, the most likely blood type would be A, indicating the presence of A antigens on the person's red blood cells.