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Blood types

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Blood types

Postby Darwin420 » Fri Nov 21, 2008 7:05 pm

I know I should know this but I am confused on the methods involved for this. I know the basics of blood types and I know O is the universal donor. BUT, O cannot accept A or B or AB because it consists of the anti-bodies for those particular antigens. SO how do they separate the anti-bodies from the blood plasma of O blood type so they can transfer it to A, B and AB blood types?

I know the lymph nodes are the harvesting nodes for antibodies but I also know there are antibodies floating in the blood plasma. Care to explain?
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Postby MrMistery » Fri Nov 21, 2008 9:58 pm

they do not separate them, they administer them altogether. And as you detected there is a problem because the antibodies in the plasma of the O blood will react with the antigens on the surrface of the recipient Red Blood Cells. That is why for large transfusions or repeated transfusions you should only give blood of the same blood type as the recipient's.
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Re: Blood types

Postby Darwin420 » Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:50 pm

Ahh I see. So the recipients whiteblood cells just kill off the O blood type antibodies? Gotcha.

Thanks
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