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It is the presence of A and B antigens and corresponding antibodies that determines your ABO blood group. People with type O blood are called 'universal donors' because this type can be used for patients with any blood type.
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That’s why giving someone blood from the wrong ABO group can be life-threatening. They recognise any ‘foreign’ antigens and tell your immune system to destroy them. You also have antibodies in the clear part of blood called plasma.Īntibodies are important in transfusion because they are the body’s natural defence system. Which group you belong to depends on the antigens and antibodies in your blood.Īntigens are a combination of sugars and proteins that coat the surface of a red blood cell.ĭepending on your combination, you will have: Because of this restriction, being type O elevates a recipient’s risk of death. Their bodies would make antibodies against antigens A or B. There are four main blood groups in the ABO group system.Įach group is important and we need donors from every group to ensure we have the right blood for the people who need it. People with type O blood make antibodies against the A and B antigens, and so they can only receive lungs from a donor who had type O blood, with no A or B antigens festooning the red blood cell surfaces. The ABO group system gives the letter part of your blood type and Rh system gives the positive or negative part. The two most important blood group systems for transfusion are ABO and Rh. Your blood group is inherited from genes passed on by your parents.