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October 24, 2014

Strange But True!

Q. In an emergency, could you receive a blood transfusion from the family dog or some other animal?

A. Not on your life. As you know, blood types and compatibility are critical issues. It was 1901 when Karl Landsteiner discovered blood types A, B and O, says Veronique Greenwood in Discover magazine. Today there are fully 33 typing systems recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion, with names like Lutheran, Duffy, Hh/Bombay and Ok. Blood types refer to the different molecules on the surface of red blood cells, which if mismatched can trigger a fatal immune reaction.


 
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