Final answer:
Landsteiner's Law is misstated in the question; individuals actually have antibodies in their serum for the blood antigens they do not have. Blood types are distinguished by the specific antigens present on the surface of red blood cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Landsteiner's Law incorrectly states that individuals possess the antigens in their serum against the antibodies they are lacking.
The correct statement is that individuals have antibodies in their serum against the antigens they are lacking. Hence, the correct statement would be: people possess the antibodies for the ABO blood antigens that their erythrocytes do not display.
For example, a person with Type A blood will have A antigens on their erythrocytes and anti-B antibodies in their plasma. This is fundamental to understanding blood transfusion compatibility and preventing transfusion reactions.
Blood types are indeed distinguished based on the presence or absence of antigens found on the surface of the red blood cells.
People with Type A blood have A antigens, people with Type B blood have B antigens, people with Type AB blood have both antigens, and people with Type O blood have neither A nor B antigens on their erythrocytes.