Human blood groups are inherited from parents based on specific genetic combinations of the ABO system and the Rh factor. Blood type O+ means that a person has:
Blood group O: No A or B antigens on the surface of red...
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Human blood groups are inherited from parents based on specific genetic combinations of the ABO system and the Rh factor. Blood type O+ means that a person has:
Blood group O: No A or B antigens on the surface of red blood cells.
Rh positive: Presence of the Rh (D) antigen.
For a baby to have blood type O, both parents must contribute the O allele (since O is recessive), meaning neither parent can pass on an A or B antigen. A mother with AB blood type always passes on either an A or B gene, never an O gene. Therefore, a baby cannot inherit type O blood from an AB mother.
Breaking down the options:
AB-: This mother’s genes are A and B, so she cannot produce an O baby. This combination is impossible.
O-: This mother has two O alleles and could easily produce an O baby if the father contributes an O allele. The baby would also likely be Rh positive if the father is Rh+.
O+: A mother with this type can naturally produce an O+ baby if the father also has an O or compatible type.
The Rh factor (+ or -) only determines the presence or absence of the Rh antigen and does not affect the ABO inheritance rules. Therefore, the only impossible case is a baby with blood type O+ having a mother with AB- blood type, as genetically this combination cannot produce O offspring.
Thus, the correct answer is AB-.
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