The Transfusion of Type a Blood to a Person Who

Question

The transfusion of type A blood to a person who has type O blood would result in
A)the recipient's B antigens reacting with the donated anti-B antibodies.
B)the recipient's anti-A antibodies clumping the donated red blood cells.
C)the recipient's anti-A and anti-O antibodies reacting with the donated red blood cells if the donor was a heterozygote (Ai)for blood type.
D)no reaction because type O is a universal donor.
E)no reaction because the O-type individual does not have antibodies.

Accepted Answer

A person with type O blood has antibodies against both anti-A and anti-B. If they were to receive type A blood, which has A antigens on the red blood cells, the recipient's anti-A antibodies would react with the donated cells, causing them to clump together or agglutinate. This can lead to serious health complications or even death. Therefore, it is important to match blood types properly before transfusions. Universal donors are individuals with type O blood, as their red blood cells lack both A and B antigens, making it compatible with all blood types.