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Which red blood cell types can be donated to people with type O blood?
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blood
Blood sediment in test tubes, showing plasma (clear fluid), red blood cells (red), and the release of hemoglobin into the surrounding plasma (pink).
Individuals with type O blood can only receive red blood cells from other donors with type O blood.1
While people 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 restricted in what they can receive themselves. This is because type O blood contains antibodies against both A and B antigens; if a person with type O blood were to receive red cells containing A or B antigens, their immune system would trigger a transfusion reaction.123