Table of Contents |
Blood type is determined by the antigens that are present on the plasma membrane of red blood cells.
There are four main blood types, referred to as ABO blood typing:
Type A blood has A antigens on the red blood cell and has anti-B antibodies.
Blood Type | Red Blood Cell Type | Antigens in Red Blood Cells | Antibodies in Plasma | Can Donate To: | Can Receive From: |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A |
A antigen |
Anti-B |
A, AB | A, O |
Someone with type A blood can donate to somebody else with type A blood. They can donate to somebody who has type AB blood because a person who has AB blood has these A antigens on their red blood cell as well. They can't have anti-A antibodies because their immune system would attack their own blood cells.
Somebody with type A blood can receive from somebody else with type A blood. They can also receive from somebody who has type O blood because type O blood doesn't have any antigens on it.
Somebody who has type B blood has B antigens and anti-A antibodies.
Blood Type | Red Blood Cell Type | Antigens in Red Blood Cells | Antibodies in Plasma | Can Donate To: | Can Receive From: |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
B |
B antigen |
Anti-A |
B, AB | B, O |
As with type A, someone with type B blood can donate to the same type or to type AB.
Someone who has type B blood can receive blood from the same type, because the antigens are going to be the same, or they can receive from type O.
Somebody who has type AB blood is going to have both A and B antigens. Somebody who has type AB blood doesn't have any antibodies in the blood.
Blood Type | Red Blood Cell Type | Antigens in Red Blood Cells | Antibodies in Plasma | Can Donate To: | Can Receive From: |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AB (universal recipient) |
A and B antigens |
None | AB | A, B, AB, O |
Somebody with type AB blood can only donate to somebody else who has type AB blood.
EXAMPLE
Suppose somebody has type A blood, and they are transfused with AB blood. The recipient's anti-B antibodies would attack the B antigens on this blood cell. Same goes for someone who is type B.Type AB can receive blood from any type. This makes them the universal recipient.
Type O blood doesn't have any antigens on the red blood cell, but they do have antibodies for type A and type B.
Blood Type | Red Blood Cell Type | Antigens in Red Blood Cells | Antibodies in Plasma | Can Donate To: | Can Receive From: |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
O (universal donor) |
None |
Anti-A and Anti-B |
A, B, AB, O | O |
If a person with type O blood was transfused with either type A, Type B, or type AB blood, these antibodies would cause agglutination. Type O blood can only receive blood from a type O donor.
Type O blood, on the other hand, can donate to all blood types because the antibodies in these other types of red blood cells have nothing to attack. Type O is referred to as the universal donor.
Blood Type | Red Blood Cell Type | Antigens in Red Blood Cells | Antibodies in Plasma | Can Donate To: | Can Receive From: |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A |
A antigen |
Anti-B |
A, AB | A, O | |
B |
B antigen |
Anti-A |
B, AB | B, O | |
AB (universal recipient) |
A and B antigens |
None | AB | A, B, AB, O | |
O (universal donor) |
None |
Anti-A and Anti-B |
A, B, AB, O | O |
Source: THIS WORK IS ADAPTED FROM SOPHIA AUTHOR AMANDA SODERLIND