Blood Typing : Understanding antigen-antibody mechanism

What is your blood type? Most of our administrational purposes (such as passport, citizen identity) require this information, which would be important in certain emergency circumstances. This recognition of blood type involves the basic mechanism of antigen-antibody reaction.

Main principle: the antigen contained by red blood cells (RBCs) will react with particular antibody in the foreign substances

This observation will remind us to the process. Sample blood in the test was obtained by injuring our finger tip using a sterile lancet needle. Before the treat, skin on the finger tip was wiped by alcohol wetted-cotton. Soon after blood came out, it is dropped to the four side of an object glass.

Four kinds of serum antibody (the blue anti-A, the yellow anti-B, the plain anti-AB and anti D which commonly known as “rhesus”) were applied by putting a drop of each in every side of blood. Mix the blood-antibody compound, and see the result. Parts showed grain-like appearance (agglutination) shows the type of the individual’s blood.

Sorry, the image I took has poor definition due to bad capturing technique.

As a result, the type of the blood we tested is B. It showed agglutination in mixing with anti-B (yellow) and anti-AB (plain) antibody. It means that the blood (in its RBCs) contains antigen B. What about the anti-D (Rhesus) test? It shows no agglutination that the sample was stated to be Rhesus-negative.

This phenomenon is a simple example in understanding antigen-antibody mechanism, as the study could be largely broadened in the field of immunology.

Helping your relatives to quit smoking

Smoking habit has become an urgent issue not only in the global life but also particularly in dental field. The facts that smoking habits shows its clinical manifestation in oral health are enormous. Dentists are suggested to encourage their patients is smoking cessation, in a serial of manner.

Here’s the list: The four As and Ds

Ask: do the patients have smoking habit? This investigation must be documented

Advise: in many (or even every) dental visit, don’t forget to pay attention to the patient’s smoking status, in such an elegant fashion, surely

Assist: help the patient to get best information related to the danger of tobacco

Arrange: whenever patients ready to quit, help him/her to compose the next steps

While the four Ds are recommended to patients: Delay acting on the urge to smoke, Deep Breath, Drink Water, Do something else.

I find these steps are commonly relevant to most addiction circumstances (aren’t they?)

One thing to remember: the duty to promote smoking cessation does not only belong to health professionals, but generally everyone caring in quality of life