![]() I’m B type blood because I have B antigens on my red blood cells. Later transfusion experiments used milk, water and even oil as blood substitutes!) (Fun fact: the first attempt at a blood transfusion was probably in the 1600s, when an English physician infused a wounded soldier with sheep’s blood. If you have AB positive blood, you’re a ‘universal recipient’ (you can safely receive any type of blood).īefore blood types were discovered in 1900 by the Austrian scientist Karl Landsteiner (for which he was later awarded the Nobel Prize), early attempts at blood transfusions, often using incompatible blood, frequently ended in disaster. This is why it’s known as the ‘universal donor’. In fact, because it has no A or B antigens at all, O (negative) blood can be donated to anyone, regardless of blood type. What about if the situation is reversed? Could my stepdad donate his blood to me? Because his O type blood doesn’t have any A or B antigens, it could be safely introduced into my body-it has no unfamiliar antigens for my system to identify as intruders. The result could be kidney failure and, potentially, death. But if he needed a larger-scale transfusion, his kidneys might not be able to cope. ![]() If only small amounts of my blood were introduced into my stepdad’s system, this wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, as the rejected blood would be filtered out by his kidneys. If my cells, with their B antigens, were introduced into his body, his immune system would identify them as foreign, producing antibodies to provide immunity against them.Īntibodies attack by binding to the foreign antigens, making the red blood cells clump together. What would happen if he received my B type blood? Having O type blood, remember, means that he has no A or B antigens on the surface of his red blood cells. Say, my stepdad, who has O-type blood, needed a blood transfusion. Image source: World Bank Photo Collection / Flickr. ![]() Getting the wrong type of blood in a transfusion can have dangerous consequences. Alarm bells will start ringing (figuratively speaking), your immune system will go into attack mode, and antibodies will be produced to fight off the unfamiliar visitors. That’s because if an antigen is introduced into your body which it doesn’t already have, rather than welcoming it with open arms, your system will identify it as an intruder.
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