What’s the point of blood types? 6 Minute English

81,839 views ・ 2020-08-27

BBC Learning English


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning
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English. I’m Neil.
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And I’m Sam.
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Sam, what blood type are you?
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Ah, you mean the different groups used to
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classify humans by blood – types A, B, AB
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and O. I think I’m type O. How about you,
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Neil?
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Well, it may sound strange but actually I
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don’t know.
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Hmm, lots of westerners don’t know their
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blood type, but in parts of Asia blood groups
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are a topic of daily conversation. People
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select romantic partners based on blood type
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and different blood groups are associated
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with different personalities.
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In this programme we’ll be finding out all
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about blood – why humans have different
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blood types and whether blood is something
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more than just a way of pumping oxygen around
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your body.
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And of course we’ll be learning some new
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vocabulary as well. Now, Neil, I have an interesting
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fact for you - did you know that many Japanese
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popstars’ websites will feature their blood
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type alongside information like their age
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and hobbies?
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I didn’t, Sam, but Japanese culture is certainly
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interested in blood. There’s even a word
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‘burahara’ meaning ‘blood harassment’,
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which is used to describe hostility towards
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people from a certain blood group considered
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to be selfish – but which group? That’s
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my quiz question for today – which blood
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types may fall victim to ‘burahara’?
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Is it:
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a) blood type A? b) blood type B? Or
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c) blood type O?
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I’ll say a) blood type A.
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OK, Sam, we’ll find out the answer later.
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As we’ve heard, blood is a big deal in Japan.
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Marnie Chesterton, from BBC World Service
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programme, CrowdScience, travelled to Tokyo
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where she asked Japanese translator,
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Chie Kobayashi, to explain more:
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For blood type A, generally it is thought
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they are perfectionists, more detail-oriented,
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pretty much good at precise type jobs, and
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that makes them good at helping others and
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good at teamwork and respecting rules and
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customs. That’s a typical blood A type.
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40 percent of Japan’s population are sensitive,
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anxious type As. 30 percent are curious and
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stubborn, generous type Os. Ten percent are
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creative ABs. But woe betide the twenty percent
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type B because they have a far less desirable
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personality, apparently.
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According to Japanese tradition, blood type
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As are perfectionists - people who want everything
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to be perfect and demand the highest standards
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possible.
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This contrasts with type Os who are considered
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to be stubborn – people who are determined
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to do what they want and refuse to change
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their mind.
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But it’s unfortunate blood type Bs who have
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the least desirable personality – selfish
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and independent. “Woe betide the type Bs”
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remarks the presenter, Marnie Chesterton – an
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informal British expression said when there
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will be trouble ahead for someone – in this
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case, poor type Bs!
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But apart from customs and traditions, is
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there actually any science behind these beliefs?
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Well, not according to Dr Emma Pomeroy of
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Cambridge University’s archaeology department.
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She thinks that - like horoscopes – there’s
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no scientific basis for a connection between
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blood types and personalities.
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Which makes me wonder what exactly
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blood types are.
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Blood types are kinds of stickers or chemical
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markers which support our immune system
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- the organs, cells and processes which protect
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the human body from infection and illness.
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Those chemical markers can identify foreign
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bodies like pathogens - small organisms, such
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a virus or bacteria, that can cause disease.
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The variety of blood types seems to be a result
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of different bodily responses to different
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disease-causing pathogens.
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Which explains why blood of the same type
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is needed in blood transfusions – medical
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procedures in which blood is taken from one
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person and put into another person’s body,
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often after an accident or during an operation.
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And explains the high demand for type O blood
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which can be given to anyone.
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Ah, generous type Os – like me. I always
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knew I was special… and curious and stubborn,
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wasn’t that the type O personality?
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Oh yes, today’s quiz question was about
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blood type personalities. I asked you which
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undesirable blood type is considered selfish
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in Japan.
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I said a) blood type A.
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But as we’ve heard, it’s actually b) blood
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type B.
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Never mind, I’ll settle for being curious,
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stubborn and generous! In today’s programme
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we’ve been talking all about blood types
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and personalities. In Japan, blood type A
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people are thought of as perfectionists - people
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who want everything to be perfect.
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Unlike type Os who are considered stubborn
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– determined to get their own way and unwilling
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to change.
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And woe betide selfish type Bs – an informal
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expression said when there will be trouble
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for someone or if they will be punished for
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doing a particular thing.
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Scientifically speaking, blood types help
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support our immune system - the organs and
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cellular processes which protect the human
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body from infection.
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They also help identify foreign pathogens
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- small organisms, such a virus or bacteria,
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that can cause a disease.
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And explain why the same blood type is needed
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for a successful blood transfusion – the
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procedure in which blood is transferred from
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one person’s body to another during an operation.
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That’s all we have time for today. Bye for
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now.
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Bye!
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