← Chapter 14
Microbiology · Chapter 14

Who Can Donate to Whom?

Red blood cells wear antigens (A, B, and Rh/D); plasma carries antibodies against the antigens you lack. Give a patient cells their plasma recognizes as foreign and those cells are attacked. Tap any square in the grid — a patient row meeting a donor column — to test the transfusion.

Reaction chamber

▲ A antigen ■ B antigen ◆ Rh(D) ● donor red cell Y = patient antibody
Blood compatibilitytap a square to test a transfusion
columns = donor cells · rows = patient receiving
safe to transfusewill react
The rule: a patient can receive cells only if those cells carry no antigen the patient's plasma has an antibody against. O− (no antigens) is the universal red-cell donor; AB+ (no anti-A/anti-B, Rh-positive) is the universal recipient.