GENOME Entry #4: Chromosome 9 - Disease

Chromosome 9 has the gene that determines a person's ABO blood group. A blood transfusion can go horribly wrong if one does not get the same type of blood. The red cells will all stick together. O blood type is the universal donor, people with blood type AB can only receive blood from A or B or both. A and B are co-dominant versions of the same gene while O is considered to be recessive. It was not until 1990 that this gene was discovered. From diseases like malaria was able to create a link between disease and mutations. It has been shown that people with blood type O seem to be more resistant to malaria than people of other blood types. Different diseases seem to be more resistant to some blood types and others not so much. From an ABO blood group we are able to tell which diseases apply to their genes. The ABO blood group is different for everybody and thus it's function is different for everybody else as well.