Syllabus: Paper I > 5. Religion > Anthropological approaches to the study of religion
Rh-Blood Group — 2016 Paper I
Question · 2016 · Paper I · 10 Marks
Rh-Blood Group
Model Answer
VAID ICSApproach
- Demand: Explain the genetic basis and clinical significance of the Rh blood-group system while also noting its anthropological use as a population marker.
- Structure: Introduction -> Body (Genetics, Clinical Significance) -> Conclusion (Anthropological Relevance).
- Key Dimensions to Cover: D, C/c, E/e antigens; chromosome 1; anti-D IgG; Rh-negative mother/Rh-positive fetus; anti-D immunoglobulin; transfusion relevance; population polymorphism.
Model Answer
Introduction The Rh blood-group system is one of the most clinically significant human blood polymorphisms after ABO. First identified by Levine and Stetson (1939) and later characterized by Landsteiner and Wiener (1940), the system is defined by a complex array of antigens, of which the D antigen is the most immunogenic.
Body The genetic basis of the system is governed by two closely linked genes, RHD and RHCE, located on Chromosome 1. These genes encode the principal D, C/c, and E/e antigens. In clinical practice, an individual is classified as Rh-positive if they possess the D antigen and Rh-negative if they lack it.
Unlike the naturally occurring antibodies of the ABO system, anti-D antibodies typically develop only after sensitization through transfusion or pregnancy. If an Rh-negative woman is sensitized by Rh-positive fetal red cells, she may produce maternal IgG anti-D antibodies. In subsequent pregnancies involving an Rh-positive fetus, these antibodies can cross the placenta, leading to Haemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN), a condition resulting in the destruction of fetal red blood cells. The use of anti-D immunoglobulin prophylaxis has been a major medical breakthrough in preventing such sensitization.
Conclusion Anthropologically, Rh-antigen frequencies have historically served as vital genetic markers for comparing human populations. They have been instrumental in studying gene flow, migration patterns, and population affinities. While modern science now employs genome-wide markers for finer resolution, the Rh system remains an instructive model for demonstrating the interplay between Mendelian inheritance, clinical genetics, and evolutionary population dynamics.
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UPSC Anthropology Optional 2016 — Paper I
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