Altering blood types due to bacteria
Some gut bacteria have proteins that can separate the carbohydrates from our blood cells. This may result in temporary blood type changes that feed the germs.
We all know that our genes contain information about our blood types. And yet, it happened that individuals had a specific blood type at some point in their life. Scientists and medical professionals struggled to comprehend this occurrence for a long time. Up until they discovered that bacteria, with their incredible superpowers, were the cause of these altering blood kinds. When I initially read about this, I couldn’t stop asking myself questions like these:
- What might cause germs to alter blood type?
- How do they accomplish that?
- Is the change in blood type reversible?
- Can our body become confused by this “new” blood type?
- Could microorganisms be used for biotechnology to alter blood types?
- TDS
Continue reading to learn the answers.
Relating to blood types and the relevant carbohydrates
Let’s begin with the fundamentals. The type of blood we have is determined by the carbohydrates on the outside of our blood cells. Our blood cells’ sugar structures can vary between four different types, and these sugars are what are known as antigens. Your blood cells have the same three basic sugars on their surfaces regardless of the blood type you have. It’s possible that certain people’s blood cells have GalNac, an extra sugar. This person has blood type A, and this sugar molecule is the A antigen. Another individual might have extra sugar Gal on their blood cells. Because this person has blood type B, we refer to this sugar molecule as the B antigen.
Blood type changes caused by bacteria
The walls of our intestinal tracts contain the same sugars that are used to create our antigens. Hence, these antigens come into contact with the bacteria that reside in your gut. Moreover, bacteria find a method to utilize anything they come across in their habitat. For this reason, researchers were seeking the bacteria that alter our blood types in the human gut microbiota. In fact, researchers discovered that the hardly known bacterium Flavonifractor plautii has the ability to change blood types A and B into blood type O.
What bacterial processes sugar via
You must be wondering why bacteria developed the ability to separate carbohydrates from antigens. The cleaved sugars appear to be consumed by bacteria as food. They are not trying to alter our blood type. They only desire to eat and live! So don’t worry- this shift in blood type will only last a short while. The antigens that are encoded in our genes will be present as soon as the blood develops new blood cells.
TDS Hence, the shift in blood type will stay short
Researchers are working to improve this procedure and make it unstable in greater sizes. Bacteria changing blood types will undoubtedly be advantageous to biotechnology in many contexts. Is it beneficial to create higher quantities of type O blood in order to store up blood supplies.
