• Question: does a person get his blood from both parents or just one

    Asked by hannah B to Iain, Hayley on 25 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Iain Bethune

      Iain Bethune answered on 25 Jun 2015:


      Your blood type depends on genes inherited from both parents. The genes for types A and B are dominant and the gene for O is recessive. Both parents carry two of these genes, and you get one from each parent (by random chance). So if one parent is A-type (with genes AO) and the other parent is B-type (genes BO) then it’s possible for the child to have AO (type A), AB (type AB), BO( type B) or OO (type O).

      However if the parent with type B has genes BB, then the child can only inherit either AB (type AB) or BO (type B).

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