Expert: Steve Whitehead - 8/1/2003

Question
As I am a Korean, I am not familiar with this site system yet.

So, could you possibly ask my question about blood type for monkey? Does this animal have different types of blood as we humman beings have? My understanding is that they have two types, Rh+ and Rh-. Any others?

Your immediate reply would be appreciated.

Good luck!

Answer
Yangkun,
Actually all blood types found in humans appear in some sort of species of monkey. Which type and which percentage depend on species. The Rh factor is a protein that was first discovered in the Rhesus monkey. 85% of humans have this protein and are Rh+.

Some different animals have different blood types (Dogs have four, cats have 11 and cows have 800) but monkeys have blood types very similar to humans. The chimpanzee has mostly type A blood; sometimes O but never B. Gorillas have ONLY type B blood.  Baboons, like humans have A, B and O blood types. It is true that all apes and all humans can be divided into the two blood types Rh+ and Rh- but Rh typing and A,B,O typing are two different ways to type blood. This is true in both humans and primates.

I hope that's helpful.
Be well,
Steve