Such a phrase as blood type began to be used only in the twentieth century. This discovery was made by the Austrian physician, chemist and immunologist K. Landsteiner. He made a great discovery - he discovered three - A, B, 0. And a couple of years later, Karl's students discovered the existence of another group - the fourth, which is considered the rarest blood group at present - AB.
Blood is a special type of liquid connective tissue. It consists of cells - formed elements located far from each other and an intercellular substance called plasma.
Its other name is zero, which dates back to the most ancient times. It is believed that she appeared the very first. About 50,000 years ago, 100% of the planet's population were carriers of this blood type. They consisted exclusively of the meat they obtained. That is, these people are hunters, people are predators.
After about 10 thousand years, people, in search of new lands for hunting, moved to new places. But these places turned out to be poorer, there was not enough food and they had to look for new sources of food. To feed his tribe, man began to develop the land, grow edible plants and prepare food from them. Thus, A was formed. It is believed that it originated in the Middle East and Asia, it has stronger immunity, and it rapidly spread to the territory of Future Europe.
After another 10 thousand years, V was born. This group belonged to nomadic herders who lived in a harsh climate and had a monotonous diet. The diet of this group contained only fermented milk products. Nomads spent a lot of time on the road, overcoming hunger and the vagaries of nature. Only the most resilient, with the strongest immunity, survived.
Scientists consider the fourth blood group, AB, to be the youngest and rarest blood group. The uniqueness of this is that it retained the features of both the second and third groups.
It is assumed that it appeared when people with the second blood group from Central and Eastern Europe began to create families with the third blood group from Asia.
Today, only 5% of people are carriers of the AB blood group. These are people with a positive Rh factor. The number of people with the rarest blood group and negative Rh factor is only 0.3%.
is a special protein located in the membranes of red blood cells. Those who have the protein present are Rh positive. Those who lack it are Rh negative.
AB blood is rightly considered to be the rarest blood group in the world. It is inherited by the future child from his parents. The fourth blood group is inherited in 50%, provided that both parents have the fourth blood group, in 25% of parents with the third and fourth, second and fourth, and second and third blood groups. It turns out that out of ten options, only four can give the rarest blood type. Despite the fact that you can get the second and third in seven cases out of ten.
The presence of antigens A and B indicates that organisms have adapted and developed a certain resistance to environmental influences.
The fourth group is a universal recipient, that is, but the fourth group itself is suitable only for itself. The first blood group, on the contrary, is a universal donor; it can be transfused to any other groups, but only the first is suitable for the first one. So, after all, what is the rarest blood group today, first or fourth, if they are so oppositely similar?
As mentioned above, it appeared more than 50,000 years ago - it is the very first group that appeared on the planet and therefore cannot be the rarest.
Possible diseases
Scientists have discovered. Those born with the fourth group are prone to heart disease, problems with blood vessels and the digestive tract. This does not mean that the disease will definitely occur, but only about its possibility. But there is an opinion that the fourth group is the least susceptible to allergic reactions and problems with the immune system.
Personal qualities
Among psychologists there is also an opinion about the relationship. The Japanese have long learned to determine a person’s temperament by blood type. Some companies select candidates based on blood types.
Proponents of such theories are of the opinion that people with the rare fourth blood group have a gentle character. They are not conflicting and always make compromises. These are very versatile and talented individuals with a delicate taste and wild imagination.
They make good scientists, musicians, artists, artists.
It is believed that the rarest blood group in Russia occurs in 7-10%. Thus, Russia has the largest number of people with the fourth blood group.
There are many classifications that divide blood into groups. All are designed to target different antigens and antibodies—small particles that are either attached to the red blood cell membrane or float freely in the plasma.
The first experiments with blood transfusion most often ended in the death of the patient. The thing is that then people did not have the slightest idea about blood groups. Today, the most common classifications are the AB0 system and the Rh factor system.
According to the ABO system, blood is classified as follows:
- 0 – first,
- A - second,
- B - third,
- AB is the fourth.
What determines the rarity of a blood group?
The rarity of blood groups, like many other features of our body, depends on natural selection. The fact is that throughout the entire two-million-year history of mankind, people have had to adapt to new conditions of existence.
The climate changed, new diseases appeared, and our blood developed with them. The oldest and most common group is the first. Scientists believe that it was she who was the original, and all the groups known today came from her.
Rare groups appeared much later, so they are not so common in the population.
Which group is the least common?
In the world, the leader in rarity is 4 negative blood group. Despite popular belief, 4 positive is approximately 3 times more common. There are more people with it than people with negative blood type 3.
Why is group 4 the least common?
The fact is that its very appearance can be considered a peculiar phenomenon. It combines the properties of two opposing blood types - A and B.
People with blood type 4 have a strong immune system that easily adapts to environmental conditions. By biological standards, this group is the most complex.
This type of blood appeared only a couple of thousand years ago. At the moment, it is the most in demand at any blood transfusion station, since there are still not many carriers of it.
The youngest and rarest group is the fourth
What blood is most common?
The most common blood is the first group (or zero according to the AB0 classification). The second is a little less common.
The third and fourth are considered rare. The total percentage of their carriers in the world does not exceed 13–15.
The most common types (1 and 2) arose at the dawn of mankind. Their carriers are considered the most susceptible to allergies of various origins, autoimmune processes and other diseases. Blood of this type has changed little over hundreds of thousands of years, so it is considered the least adapted to modern conditions.
The percentage of blood types is also determined by the Rh factor. Positive is much more common than negative. Even 1 negative group, which is the leader among negative blood types, occurs in 7% of people.
The distribution of blood groups also depends on race. A person of the Mongoloid race will have Rh positive blood in 99% of cases, while for Europeans, Rh positive is about 85%.
Europeans are the most common carriers of group 1, Africans are carriers of group 2, and group 3 is the most common among Asians.
Blood types: percentage prevalence
As statistics show, different types of blood vary greatly in prevalence in the world. People with type 0 can be found without much difficulty, and type AB blood is unique in its own way.
The following table will help you finally understand which of the groups are the most common and which are much less common:
| 0+ | 40% |
| 0- | 7% |
| A+ | 34% |
| A- | 6% |
| B+ | 8% |
| IN- | 1% |
| AB+ | 3% |
| AB- | 1% |
Who should donate blood?
Medical sources say that it is always preferable to transfuse a person with blood of the exact group of which he is a carrier. Therefore, it is very important that blood banks have all types of blood.
The main rule of blood transfusion is that people with positive blood can be given negative blood. If done the other way around, the person who needs the transfusion will die. This is due to the biological characteristics of the antigen-antibody system.
Although type 1 is considered rare, its uniqueness lies in the fact that in emergency cases such people can be transfused with blood of any type, provided that the Rh factors are compatible. At the same time, other types of blood are not so universal.
Group AB can only be transfused to people with the same blood type.
No matter what kind of blood you have, by donating it you will help save a person’s life. The most expensive and sought after blood is Rh negative. If you are one of the 15% of people who carry it, be sure to think about the possibility of becoming a donor. Periodic blood donation is not only charity, but also a way to improve the functional state of your hematopoietic system.
Video: The rarest blood type
To date, many features of the body’s activity have not yet been fully studied by scientists. Some blood characteristics also remain a mystery. In modern medicine, it is customary to distinguish the blood of different people by group, as well as by Rh factor. In any laboratory, employees can determine these human characteristics, which are then used by doctors when it is necessary to carry out various medical procedures (mainly blood transfusions). Today we are talking about what is the rarest blood in the world and the Rh factor of human blood.
What is Rh factor and blood group?
Today, a system known as AB0 is used to evaluate blood group; it was proposed by the scientist Landsteiner, who lived at the beginning of the last century. In this case:
0 – considered the first blood group;
A – second blood group;
B – third blood group;
AB – fourth blood group.
In addition to blood group, doctors distinguish another difference - the Rh factor. Such a particle is essentially an antigen present on the surface of red blood cells in approximately 85% of people and, accordingly, readers of Popular Health. Accordingly, people who have this antigen are called Rh-positive, and those who do not have it are called Rh-negative.
The rarest human blood type in the world
The fourth group with a negative Rh factor is considered the rarest in humans. The fourth positive blood group is found a little more often: even more often than the third negative, second negative and first negative.
Scientists claim that the fourth blood group as a whole is quite mysterious and, most likely, the youngest - it appeared in people not so long ago as a result of the fusion of two other blood types A and B.
There is a theory that people with this blood type have a fairly flexible immune system. Also, some scientists are confident that the emergence of the fourth blood group is a consequence of the practice of mixed marriages. And this group is characterized by high biological complexity. Sometimes its features are similar to the second blood group, sometimes to the third. But much more often, this blood type is a kind of combination of both groups A and B.
Some scientists are confident that the fourth blood group in the world arose about a thousand years ago, due to the mixing of the Mongoloid race and Indo-Europeans.
Today, 5% of the world's population can be considered carriers of the fourth positive blood group, while the fourth negative blood group is observed only in 0.4%.
The rarest Rh factor in the world in blood
So, as we already understood, the most rare is the absence of the Rh factor, in other words, a negative Rh factor. This feature is typical for only 15% of the planet's population. And to date, not a single scientist can explain why a small number of people do not have antigen on their red blood cells.
In most cases, the rare negative Rh factor does not affect the quality of life at all. But sometimes such a criterion is very important, for example, during blood transfusion and donation, as well as during pregnancy. After all, if the mother has an Rh-negative factor, and the fetus has an Rh-positive factor, a so-called Rh conflict arises, which requires the use of a number of medications to maintain the pregnancy.
Bombay blood
Bombay blood or Bombay phenomenon is an amazing name for a new blood group, which, according to scientists, was discovered in the middle of the last century in India.
Bombay blood does not have A or B antigens (which are characteristic of the second - A, third - B, or fourth blood group - AB). It would seem that in such a situation, it is identical to the first blood group - Oh, but this is not so. Bombay blood does not contain the H antigen, which is present in the first blood group. Research shows that this phenomenon occurs in approximately 0.01% of Indian residents. Bombay blood does not cause any problems to its owner, except that only the same blood can be used for blood transfusion. At the same time, Bombay blood is surprisingly suitable for donation - it is compatible with all four blood groups.
Thus, we can conclude that the rarest blood group is still the fourth negative. Bombay blood is not yet recognized as the rarest, since it is a phenomenon (only in a given area and in too few people) and cannot be used to obtain statistical data.
Additional information
Some experts are confident that a particular person’s blood type has a direct impact: on his health, taste preferences and even character. So, according to such scientists, owners of the fourth negative blood group have strong immunity, but at the same time suffer from a weak digestive system. They quite often encounter viral infections that can penetrate the body through the gastrointestinal tract.
People with the fourth negative blood group are distinguished by their strong character, but at the same time they are touchy and vulnerable. Quite often such individuals seem strange. At school and university they are attracted to various intellectual games and all kinds of activities. They are also distinguished by their curiosity.
Scientists also suggest that people with blood type IV are especially prone to developing anemia. They need to adhere to a diet to prevent excess weight gain.
In fact, the rare Rhesus and the rarest blood groups do not in any way affect a person’s life and do not distinguish him from the rest, with the exception of situations where the need for blood transfusion arises, and also with the exception of pregnancy.
Human blood is distinguished by groups, there are 4 of them, and by the Rh factor, which can be positive and negative. According to statistics, 80% of the world's population have a positive Rh factor. Only 20% of people in the world have a negative Rh factor. Therefore, Rh with a "-" sign is less common. In addition, there is a blood type that is common, and there is one that is rare. Which group is considered the rarest - this is the question we will consider further.
According to statistics, the first blood group is more common in the world. 40% of the population have it. 32% of people in the world have the second blood group. Then comes the third blood group, which accounts for 22%.
The rarest blood group is group 4. Only 6% of all people in the world have it. And the rarest group with Rhesus is fourth group Rh negative, it affects 0.4% of people.She appeared later than everyone else, so she is considered young. This blood type arose due to mixed marriages, and not external influence, like the others. It has a complex chemical composition, due to which a laboratory technician with little experience may confuse it with the second or third blood group. The only group with which the fourth group has nothing in common is the first. Even a doctor who does not have much experience in conducting tests will not confuse them.
Very rare blood
The first blood group is common, and the fourth is the least common. As for the Rh factor, there are some nuances here. Thus, fourth positive blood is more common than negative blood. If we talk about exact data, then group IV with Rh “+” is present in 5.6% of the world’s population, and group IV with Rh “-” accounts for only 0.4%.
From the point of view of the Rh factor, there are other rare blood groups - this is the first negative. 4.3% of the world's population has it. Then comes the second group with a Rh factor with a “-” sign; 3.5% of the population has it. As for the third negative blood group, only 1.5% of the population has it. Groups with a positive Rh factor are quite common, as already mentioned.
The uniqueness of the fourth blood group
The fourth blood group is the rarest and most unique. If a person with such blood needs a transfusion, then any other blood will do. Therefore, there is no point in looking for a donor with this particular blood type, which would be difficult, since it is rare. You can take any other blood type from the blood bank and use it for transfusion. In this case, only the Rh factor is taken into account. If a person has a fourth negative blood group, then any other negative Rh blood is taken, and vice versa, if a person has a fourth positive blood, then any other group, but positive, will be required.
However, such blood can only be transfused to people with the fourth blood group. This is where its uniqueness lies. It will not suit a person with the first, second or third blood group, even if they have the same Rh factor. Even doctors don’t know why this happens.
This blood group is “responsible” for human creativity. For such people, emotions dominate over reason. They are prone to fantasy, they have developed intuition and are distinguished by impeccable taste and a thirst for beauty. There are many artists, poets and musicians here. Therefore, the fourth blood group is considered bohemian. Such people are compassionate and kind. They are unlikely to remain indifferent to someone else’s grief and will try to come to the rescue. They easily forgive insults, although they take everything to heart. However, communicating with such people is not easy. They require increased attention. They are ready to be offended even by an innocent remark made to them. A harsh word can hurt them. Among people with this blood type there are many fanatics and people with unstable psyches.
Still, it cannot be said that people with the fourth blood group are more talented than people with the first or any other blood group. It’s just that this case has its own characteristic features that are difficult not to notice.
Blood has not been fully studied, so research is still ongoing. Nowadays, it is customary to determine it by group and Rh factor. According to the AB0 system, proposed at the beginning of the last century by K. Landsteiner, there are four varieties that differ in composition:
- 0 – first;
- A – second;
- B – third;
- AB is the fourth.
Distribution in the world
According to statistics, approximately 40% of the world's population has type I blood, 32% have type II, 22% have type III, and the rarest blood type - fourth - is found in only 6%.
In addition, it can be Rh positive or Rh negative, depending on whether an antigen, called the Rh factor, is present on the surface of red blood cells. On average, 85% of people are Rh positive, 15% are negative. To be more precise, this ratio is true for Europeans; as for representatives of the Negroid race, 93% of them have Rh-positive blood, among Mongoloids there are the most such people - 99%.
Blood groups are unevenly distributed among representatives of different races. It is believed that Europeans most often have the second one, the inhabitants of the African continent have the first one, and Asians mostly have the third one.
Sometimes they say that there is a predisposition to certain diseases depending on the group. However, these are just observations and not supported by scientific evidence.
Theory of origin
There are several theories about the emergence of different groups. According to one of them, at first all people on Earth had one, the rest appeared as a result of mutations, which is associated with a change in lifestyle.
The oldest is the first. The ancient people who hunted had it. Today it remains the most common on the planet.
The second appeared when a person’s diet changed: they stopped eating raw meat and added greens, roots, and plant fruits to their diet.
The third originated in Asia. Her education is also associated with the diet in those regions: milk and meat from livestock.
The youngest and rarest blood group is the fourth. It is believed that it appeared not due to changes in human conditions, but as a result of the fusion of species A and B in mixed marriages of Indo-Europeans with Mongoloids. Supposedly, she is only 1000 years old.
The rarest blood
Thus, group IV is the least common. Which blood type is the rarest based on the Rh factor? Again, the fourth one is negative. On Earth, approximately 0.4% of people have such blood, that is, one person out of 200 thousand. It is unevenly distributed across the planet. For example, in China such people make up only 0.05% of the population.
The youngest and rarest group in the world is the fourth
The fourth positive is much more common than the negative. If we talk about the prevalence in the world, then its carriers are about 5% of the population. This figure may be different in some countries. About 7% of residents of Turkey, China, Israel, Finland, and Poland have such blood.
Rare ones include the third negative - about 1.5%, the second negative - 3.5%, the first negative - 4.3%.
Bombay phenomenon
This name was given to a very rare variety that was first discovered in a resident of the Indian city of Bombay (nowadays Mumbai) in 1952. In the world it occurs in 0.0001% of the population, in India in 0.01%. It does not have A and B antigens and is defined as I, but at the same time it also lacks H antigen.
Conclusion
In addition to the above, there are other rare varieties that are still being researched. The rare species does not affect human life or health in any way. Difficulties may arise if blood transfusion is required. The ideal option is to donate your own blood in advance, in case a transfusion is required.