A Code in Blood
Curious Cases
BBC
4.8 • 4.1K Ratings
🗓️ 15 March 2017
⏱️ 12 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"Why do we have different blood types?" asks Doug from Norfolk.
The average adult human has around 30 trillion red blood cells, they make up a quarter of the total number of cells in the body.
We have dozens of different blood groups, but normally we're tested for just two - ABO and Rhesus factor. Adam and Hannah delve into the gory world of blood and the early history of blood transfusions, to discover why we have blood groups and what makes them so important.
Featuring interviews with Dr Jo Mountford, from the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and immunologist Dr Sheena Cruikshank from the University of Manchester.
Send your Curious Cases for consideration to: curiouscases@bbc.co.uk
Presenters: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford Producer: Michelle Martin.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'd just like to tell you about a podcast that I've been doing with my friend Brian Cox. |
| 0:04.8 | I'm Robinins. Welcome to The Infinite Monkey Cage. |
| 0:07.2 | What we're doing in this new series, Sharks, fungi, bees versus wasps. |
| 0:11.8 | We're going to explain how bees explode, why wasps don't explode, |
| 0:15.0 | before we then climb into a Supervolcano metaphorically. |
| 0:18.2 | So, if you'd like to hear about the magnificence and strangeness of the universe |
| 0:22.4 | and all the wonders that lie within, listen to The Infinite Monkey Cage. |
| 0:25.2 | And you can listen to the whole series before anyone else |
| 0:27.8 | when you listen on BBC Sound. |
| 0:30.2 | MUSIC |
| 0:36.2 | Acto one of my favourite topics for today's Scurious Cage. |
| 0:39.6 | Yes, indeed. Doug in Norfolk writes, |
| 0:42.2 | why do we have different blood types? |
| 0:45.0 | What evolutionary advantage could there be to this? |
| 0:47.6 | Hannah, this is right up my street, a bit of evolution, a bit of gore, |
| 0:52.8 | something I can really get my teeth stuck into. |
| 0:55.0 | You're not that keen, though. |
| 0:56.2 | Oh, yeah. Do you remember the case of the screen with Shwoon? |
| 0:58.8 | I do, when you tried and failed to make me faint. |
| 1:02.4 | Well, yes, I feel very weak when we're even discussing blood. |
| 1:05.8 | OK, then I will specifically avoid mentioning it, |
| 1:08.8 | gushing from Woon, spurting out in jets from your... |
... |
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