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Which red blood cell types can a person with type O blood receive?

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Close-up illustration of multiple human red blood cells with their characteristic disc shape, floating against a red background. — blood group The major component of human blood is the red blood cell.

A person with type O blood can receive red blood cells only from a donor who also has type O blood.12

While individuals with type O blood are often referred to as universal donors because their red cells can be transfused into recipients of any ABO blood type, they are not universal recipients. Because type O blood contains both anti-A and anti-B antibodies in the serum, receiving red cells from type A, type B, or type AB donors would result in a dangerous immune reaction. Therefore, for red cell transfusions, type O individuals must be matched with type O donors to ensure ABO compatibility.123