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Generally speaking, type O can donate to everyone, which means type O, A, B, and AB.
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People with certain blood types are compatible for blood transfusions and certain others are not. If you have to type A blood, for example, you have type A antigens on your red blood cells and anti-B antibodies in your plasma. Antigens are something that triggers your immune system to produce antibodies against a foreign invader. Whether you have type A, B, AB, or O type is determined by the kind of antigens you have on your red blood cells. Your blood can be either RhD positive (+) if you have the protein, or RhD negative (-) if you do not. In addition, each blood type has an Rh factor, or Rhesus factor, which is a protein found in your red blood cells. There are four main known blood types: A, B, AB, and O. Although this is rare, you can die from the reaction. Your immune system could attack the red blood cells in the donated blood. If you get in a car accident or suffer from some other medical problem that requires you to receive a blood transfusion, the donated blood needs to match your own. For this reason, people with blood type "O-negative" are called "universal donors." However, a person with type "O-negative" blood with have all the other antigens in their bloodstream and can only receive type O-negative blood.It is important to know your blood type as it determines the type of blood you can receive in a blood transfusion. For this reason, people with blood type "AB-positive" are deemed "universal recipients." In stark contrast, since someone who is "O-negative" will have no antigens in their blood, they can donate to anyone. Since someone who is "AB-positive" will lack all blood-type related antibodies in their blood, they can receive blood from anyone. Here's a table describing who can receive blood whom: For instance, a person with blood type AB-negative cannot donate to a person with blood type B-negative, because the recipient's blood will have A antibodies present, and will reject the blood since it contains A antigens.
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All that is necessary for a donor to be a "match" is that their blood must not trigger any of the antibodies in the recipient's blood. You don't have to donate blood to someone with the same blood type. Why do you have to donate blood to someone with the same blood type? Similarly, a person with blood type "AB-negative" will have neither A nor B antibodies, but will still have Rh antibodies. For instance, a person who is "A-positive" will have B antibodies, but neither A nor Rh antibodies. If person's blood contains neither A nor B antigens, they are deemed "type O," so a person with "O positive" blood has neither A nor B antigens, but would still have Rh antigens.įor every antigen in a person's blood, they lack the antibody for that specific antigen. For instance, if a person has A and B antigens present in their blood, their blood type is deemed "type AB," while blood with only A antigens will be deemed "type A." If a person's blood contains certain Rh factors, they are deemed "Rh positive" or just "positive." Therefore, a person with type "AB-positive blood" has the A, B, and Rh antigens. There are several antigens present on the surface of blood cells that serve as "markers" or "flags." These include A, B and Rh antigens.
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Blood cells have antigens on their surface that serve as markers or flags, and plasma contains antibodies that detect and reject blood cells with foreign antigens.
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