Email a Friend
Print Article
Type A Personality: New Biomarker
While performing background research on newly recruited Japanese baseball pitching prospect Daisuke Matsuzaka (will start for Boston Red Sox and eventually join the Yankees!) American sports journalists tumbled upon an interesting aspect of Japanese culture: Blood type plays a significant role in the individual's personality.
You don't need to qualify for the Hall of Fame to understand that not all human blood is identical. We possess specific antigens (proteins) on the surface of our blood cells, over 20 different categories of antigens. The most famous and most important are the ABO antigens, discovered and described in 1901 by Nobel Laureate Karl Landsteiner.
Depending on the DNA inherited from your parents, your blood is either Type O, Type A, Type B, or (rarely) Type AB. Your body creates antibodies to the other blood groups you do not posess, so compatibile blood transfusions must be from the same group. 45% of Americans are Type O and another 40% are Type A.
Some Japanese believe there is a direct link between blood type and personality. Blood type is similar to our use of astrological zodiac signs. This reminds me of a very dated joke:
Single woman in bar: "Hi, I'm Cancer!"
Bachelor: "Nice to meet you, I'm Herpes!"
Just as Westerners attribute different personality traits to Capricorns versus Libras, folks in Japan make a big deal about Blood Type:
Must sociological research has gone into exploring the blood group/personality hypothesis in Japan. Millions are convinced the science is genuine.
I just have one question - it's about bone marrow transplantation (BMT). After total BMT the recipient will acquire the Blood Group antigen and autoantibodies of the bone marrow donor. Yes, a Type O recipient can become Type A. What happens to their personality?
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: Japan, sports, baseball, blood type, personality type
You don't need to qualify for the Hall of Fame to understand that not all human blood is identical. We possess specific antigens (proteins) on the surface of our blood cells, over 20 different categories of antigens. The most famous and most important are the ABO antigens, discovered and described in 1901 by Nobel Laureate Karl Landsteiner.
Depending on the DNA inherited from your parents, your blood is either Type O, Type A, Type B, or (rarely) Type AB. Your body creates antibodies to the other blood groups you do not posess, so compatibile blood transfusions must be from the same group. 45% of Americans are Type O and another 40% are Type A.
Some Japanese believe there is a direct link between blood type and personality. Blood type is similar to our use of astrological zodiac signs. This reminds me of a very dated joke:
Single woman in bar: "Hi, I'm Cancer!"
Bachelor: "Nice to meet you, I'm Herpes!"
Just as Westerners attribute different personality traits to Capricorns versus Libras, folks in Japan make a big deal about Blood Type:
- Type O are Warriors
- Type A are Farmers
- Type B are Hunters
- Type AB are humanists
Must sociological research has gone into exploring the blood group/personality hypothesis in Japan. Millions are convinced the science is genuine.
I just have one question - it's about bone marrow transplantation (BMT). After total BMT the recipient will acquire the Blood Group antigen and autoantibodies of the bone marrow donor. Yes, a Type O recipient can become Type A. What happens to their personality?
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: Japan, sports, baseball, blood type, personality type
