Question

A patient with and O blood type can receive a transfusion from a donor with blood type ____ only.a) ABb) Oc) AB, A, or Od) AB, A, B, or Oe) AB, A, or B

Answer 1

Blood types are determined by the proteins present on the surface of the red blood cells.

• In blood type A, red cells have A antigens and there are anti-B antibodies in the plasma.

,

• Blood type B has B antigens and anti-A anitbodies

,

• Blood type AB has A and B antigens and no antibodies

,

• Blood type O, has ,no antigens ,and ,both anti-A and anti-B antibodies.

Is important not to pair antigens and antibodies, as the antibodies of the recipient will attack the antigens.

For example, if a person with O blood type receives AB blood, the patient's anti-A and anti-B antibodies would attack the donor's blood because the red cells have A and B antigens.

This means that a person with O blood type can only receive blood type O because those red cells don't have any antigens on their surface (option b).