The Rh factor was first discovered in which animal?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Rhesus monkey
- Step 1: The Rhesus blood group system is defined by surface erythrocyte antigens, principally the Rh(D) protein.
- Step 2: Landsteiner and Wiener first discovered this agglutinogen in 1940 by immunizing rabbits and guinea pigs with red blood cells from the Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), hence the name 'Rh factor'.
Answer
Rhesus monkey.
Why not the others: 'Guinea pig' and 'Rabbit' were the experimental lab animals used to generate the anti-rhesus antiserum rather than the source of the antigen itself; 'Chimpanzee' was not the primate species used in the initial discovery.
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